Spread Your Wings
by Donatellosgirl36
Summary: Mona Lisa suddenly reappears after eight years. However, there's something wrong. She's not the same. Raphael must help to heal her mind and spirit. But there are those that will do anything to get her back. 1987 verse
1. Found

Disclaimer: I don't own the original characters of TMNT.

A/N: i so hope you guys enjoy this one! So far it's been a real ride to write! Just a little forewarning, you might want to keep some tissue handy for the first few chapters.

A few quick points.

1\. The time frame is 1997 thru 1998

2\. This is the fourth in a series. Book 1 "The Monster's Sister." Book 2 "Breaking Chains." Book 3 "Courage." But as most of my stories go, they are good stand-alones too. Another words, you don't have to read the others to follow this one. (You just won't know a few characters.) Of course, you're always welcome to do some catch-up reading! ;D

* * *

**_Previously_**

Footsteps splashing in the water ahead of him alerted him to the person running in his direction. They were hidden in deep shadows and a dark cloak. The person tripped and scrambled back to their feet. They glanced behind them and that's when Raph noticed several shadows moving farther up the tunnel. Their voices echoed off the brick wall.

"I think it went this way!"

"Hurry up! We can't let it get away!"

"There it is!"

"I've got it!" A dart flew through the air to strike the cloaked stranger in the back.

The way these people kept calling this person an "it" didn't sit well with him. In fact, it made his blood boil, making his bad mood even worse. He raced forward as the person stumbled and began to collapse. He caught them. "Hey, are you alright?"

The hood fell back and he gasped. In his arms, lay Mona Lisa unconscious.

"Did you get it?"

"I think so." The voices and shadows grew closer.

Raphael felt a fire unlike any other spring to life inside him. He growled, lifting her slender body into his arms. For a moment he considered beating the crud out of her pursuers. But her slight weight in his arms made him think twice. If he was hit with one of those dart things, then these people would have both him and her. Her well being was more important at the moment than pounding these guys into the ground.

So, instead he hurried into a side tunnel. Taking several twists and turns to ensure he wasn't followed; he made his way back to the lair. Everyone turned to stare at him standing in the entrance panting with Mona Lisa cradled against his chest. "She's in trouble."

* * *

Chapter 1 - Found

Mona Lisa heard the voices and felt the panic run through her. She didn't even try to understand what they were saying. It was never good. All she knew was that they'd caught her. She'd felt the sting of the dart in her back and the all-encompassing blackness that always followed. She had gotten much farther away this time. Maybe next time she could make it. But she knew what was going to happen in the meantime. It was always the same. She'd be punished for her escape attempt. They would probably put the restraint collar back on her or starve her or drug her up so bad she couldn't think straight. Whatever it was, she had to fight it. It was all she could do anymore. Though most of the time it didn't do much good. They'd just tranq her again.

As she climbed to consciousness the voices became louder. They were close - too close. She scrambled blindly away from them, until she hit a wall. She curled up into a ball, clutching her knees to her chest and buried her face in them. "Please! No more! Please!"

Normally such a plea was pointless. Her handlers thought of her as an asset - a piece of property. To them she wasn't a living thinking being, just an animal - a mutant. Something that needed to be studied. Any moment the pain would start - the hands would grab at her and pin her to a gurney.

The turtles gasped as Mona Lisa had sprang off the couch and hastily clambered away from them. When she met the wall, she hadn't tried to run around it or anything, she'd simply sank to the floor clutching her legs and pleading in half incoherent sobs.

Raph could have sworn his heart was being ripped out of his chest. "Mona..." He turned to Splinter, who had been seated on the edge of the couch checking over their long-lost friend. "Master, what's wrong with 'er?"

Splinter frowned. "I am not entirely certain. But she seems extremely frightened."

"I'd say she's experienced a traumatic event." Don and Katherine had returned to the lair as soon as Leo had called them.

Mikey crouched down near her. "Dudette, it's us. We're your friends, remember?"

Mona didn't seem to hear him as she continued to sob and shake. Raph moved past him to kneel right in front of her. He placed a hand on her arm and she tensed beneath it. "Mona, can ya hear me? It's me, Raphael. You're safe."

When Mona felt the hand touch her arm, she clenched her eyes tight waiting for the inevitable. But then something strange happened - nothing. The hand remained still, gentle and... familiar? And then a voice came with it and it too was familiar - like a distant memory - a dream. Slowly she lifted her head. Warm caramel eyes looked back at her set in a green face wrapped in red with deep concern. Could it really be?

"Mona Lisa..." Raph said softly.

Recognition finally flashed in her eyes. "Raphael!" She threw herself forward, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck and sobbing into his shoulder.

Raph couldn't resist wrapping his own arms around her and pulling her close. Her sobs tore at his heart. What had happened to her? "It's alright." He said softly. "You're safe." She continued to sob as he stroked her brown hair gently.

The group waited until her weeping had died down. Finally, she lifted her head to look at Raph. "How? How did I get here?" More tears trickled down her cheeks. "I thought they'd caught me. I thought I was back in..." She pressed her eyes tightly shut.

Raph squeezed her shoulders. "I found ya. I saw those guys shoot ya with some kinda dart. Who were they? Why were they chasing ya?"

Her arms were suddenly around his neck again. "You saved me! Thank you! Oh, thank you!" She turned to bury her face in his neck this time and he shivered.

"Saved you from who?" Leo asked.

She lifted her head again and stared at him as if she hadn't known he was there. Wiping at her face, she took in several deep breaths. "IPRC."

"Who?" Mikey asked as Raph helped her to her feet and back to the sofa to sit beside Splinter.

"IPRC. They are a private research corporation." She clutched at Raph's hand when he started to step away. He frowned, settling on the coffee table in front of her instead.

"Perhaps, it would be better, if you started at the beginning." Splinter suggested.

Samantha appeared beside him and offered her a cup of water. "Here."

Mona Lisa stared up at her, but slowly took the cup. "Thank you."

"It's okay, this is Sams." Leo put a hand on her shoulder. Then, he gestured to where Katherine stood beside Don. "And this is Katherine. They're family."

Mona gave a slow nod. She drank the whole cup of water before speaking again. "Family?"

Leo smiled. "Sams is my wife."

"And Katherine is mine." Don slipped his arm around her, pulling her close and kissing her brow.

A small smile finally appeared on Mona's face as she watched them. "Where have ya been?" Raph's voice drew her attention back to him. His expression was a mixture of sadness, concern, and hurt. "I - we looked for ya for a long time. It's been nearly eight years since the last time we saw ya."

She took a deep breath and squeezed his hand. "A few months after we met, I discovered Captain Filch had retrofitted a new submarine. I didn't want anyone else to be hurt, so I went after him. But he was ready for me this time. He captured me and sold me to the highest bidder."

Anger flashed in Raph's eyes. "Sold ya!"

She gave a small nod, her own eyes downcast. "Infinite Possibilities Research Corp had the highest bid. I was taken to one of their labs and locked away."

Katherine felt horror grip her heart. She took a few steps forward. "Did they...hurt you?"

Again, Mona gave a small shaky nod. Beside her, Raph growled and his grip tightened on her hand. She took in a deep breath. "I've tried to escape at least a dozen times or more." A tear trickled down her cheek. "But they kept catching me. And when they took me back, they'd make it so I couldn't try again for a long, long time." Her head came back up slowly to meet Raph's eyes. "And then you found me."

Raph's breath caught in his throat at the amount of pain in her eyes. He couldn't prevent his voice from cracking when he finally got it back. "Ya were there all this time? All these years?" This time she held his gaze as she gave one slow nod. Guilt washed over him. If he'd only tried harder to find her? If he'd only known? He'd thought she'd taken off or moved away. He'd never even suspected this - this horrific and terrifying prospect of being captured, tortured, and experimented on. He pulled her to him, wrapping her tightly in his arms. "Oh, Mona, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. If I'd known..."

She swallowed hard, her arms coming up to clutch at him, and bury her face in his shoulder again.

"You must be very tired." Splinter said softly. He could feel the pain imbedded deep in her soul. "Raphael, would you show her where she may rest."

Raph gave his father a nod and allowed her to sit back. "Come on." Taking her by the hand, he led her into the bedroom area. Without hesitation, he took her up the small steps into his alcove. "Ya can sleep here." He pulled back the covers and settled her on the bedside. Then he turned to leave.

She caught his hand with a trembling one of her own. When he looked back, there was fear in her dark brown eyes. "Raphael, will you stay with me until I fall asleep?"

He promptly turned back to her, smiling softly. "Sure."

She laid down, making sure he had enough room. Tucking her in, he joined her. She immediately buried her face in his chest, her smaller body shaking.

Raph frowned, encompassing her in his arms. "You're safe. And I swear, no one will ever hurt ya again." His words elicited a small sob.

It took some time before she finally fell into a restless sleep. Raph gently unwound himself from her and sat up on the side of the bed. He frowned again at her tense and contorted features. Even in her sleep, she seemed so frightened. It broke his heart to see her like this. It was hard to see the spunky girl he'd known all those years ago in the traumatized woman before him. But she was there. He could see her in those dark brown eyes, hidden behind the fear and pain.

He took a moment to really look at her. Her green skin, which he recalled as nearly flawless, was slashed with thin scars and her neck freckled with old burn marks. Her face was thinner than he remembered and there were more lines in it. Dark circles loomed beneath her eyes. One thing he had noticed right away was that her hair was much longer. It nearly reached her waist. His gaze fell on the hand she had clutching the covers. The ends of her nails were broken and chipped liked she'd been trying to dig her way out of -wherever she'd been kept. To him, however, she was still beautiful. Even in this damaged and frail form, her essence still glowed below the surface.

Sighing, he rose and returned to the living room. It had been more than twenty minutes since he'd escorted Mona Lisa to his bed and his family was still gathered, speaking in low voices. They looked up as he entered. Sams lifted her head from where Leo was holding her, her eyes red. Katherine didn't look much better. She was biting her lip and swiping at her cheeks. Don rubbed her back warmly, his expression just as sad.

"Is she okay?" Mikey asked softly.

"I don't..." He squeezed his eyes shut. "I don't know. She's terrified. She didn't even wanna go to sleep alone."

"We must give her time, my son. Once she has regained her strength, she may yet be able to tell us more of her captivity."

Leo clutched Sams against him, anger burning in his chest. And not just for the treatment Mona Lisa had received, but also for his brother. Although Raphael had kept it to himself, it had been obvious how devastating her sudden absence had been on him. Thinking back, he realized that Raph had been much like he had when he thought he'd lost Sams for good. Even just the memory of that pain was enough to take his breath away. "We'll find them, Raphael." His brother lifted his eyes to meet his gaze. "And we will make them pay."

The lost look in Raph's eyes faded to one of determination and vengeance. "Yes, we will."

"I think I'll do some research on this IPRC, find out as much as we can about them. But any little bit of information she can give us would still be very helpful." Don glanced towards the bedroom area. "Do you think she'll be able to tell you any more when she wakes up?"

Raph let out a heavy breath, looking off in the same direction. "I don't know, maybe. I can ask 'er. But I don't think it's a good idea to push 'er right now."

"I agree." Splinter stood from the couch. "Her healing is the most important priority at the moment. Your vengeance will have to wait until then."

Raph clenched his fists, that fire burning in his chest again. "I can wait." It didn't matter when he got his hands on these people, they were inevitably going to suffer.

* * *

_"Doctor, it's waking up. Should I sedate it again?"_

_"Not unless it starts to struggle. Otherwise don't waste the meds."_

_Pain. Incredible, excruciating pain! It radiated from her lower abdomen like waves of fire. She tried to move away from it, but couldn't. Something held her immobile - straps, cuffs. She tried to breath, but couldn't. It only seemed to make the pain worse._

_She pried her eyes open only to see a blinding white light._

_Another wave of pain shot through her and a scream ripped its way out of her throat as she thrashed._

_A fist struck her face. "Stop that, freak!"_

_She blinked trying to see their faces past the scorching light. "Please, stop!"_

_More pain and another scream. Suddenly a gasmask was forced over her face. She tried again to fight it, but couldn't. Her muscles seized, but her mind remained alert. "No! Stop!" It cried silently._

* * *

"No!" Someone was gripping her wrists.

"Mona! Wake up! Open your eyes!" Raph continued to hold her wrists in a firm but gentle grasp as she thrashed. "Mona!"

Slow realization dawned on her that the hands holding hers were three fingered. And the voice that spoke to her was familiar. Her eyes opened and she lifted her head to meet his eyes. "Raphael..." Tears poured down her cheeks and he gathered her against him.

The others looked on from outside the alcove. They'd all came running when she'd started screaming. She'd only slept for two hours. Katherine clung to Don's arm, worry thick in her eyes. "Maybe we should give her something to help her sleep?" She suggested quietly.

Mona's head came up. "No! No medicine! No drugs!"

She began to shake uncontrollably in Raph's arms. Frowning, he held her a bit tighter. "Shh, it's alright. No one's gonna hurt ya here."

"We just want to help you?" Leo stepped forward, his own concern evident in his features. "Is there anything we can do?"

Mona peeked at him out of one eye, her face half buried in Raph's chest. She just shook her head. "It was a nightmare. That's all."

Leo frowned and Raph gave him a dubious look over the girl's head. "It's alright, guys. I'll stay with 'er."

The group left the bedroom for the living room. Leo turned to Don. "What have you found out about this research company?"

"Well, they seem pretty legit on the surface. Their main lab is based here in the city, but they do have several more facilities in upstate. They perform all kinds of research from medical to technological. Basically, they are the go-to people for any type of research needs. But when I hacked their mainframe, I found all kinds of covert projects." Don glanced at the bedroom area. "But I haven't found anything on her yet."

"Well, keep digging. We need to find out what those people did to her."

Don nodded, and he and Katherine disappeared back into his lab. Sams laid her hand on Leo's arm. She could feel how distraught he was over the situation. He looked down at her, placing his hand over hers. He squeezed it and touched her cheek. "I need to talk to Splinter."

She nodded and watched him walk off to his father's room. She turned to Mikey, who was staring back into the bedroom. "Michelangelo? Are you okay?"

He frowned at her. "I don't know. I just feel kind of useless. I wish there was more I could do."

She folded her arms. "I know what you mean."

Then an idea struck him. "Hey, maybe she's hungry. I know pizza always cheers me up."

Sams gave him a small smile. "She's probably is. There's no telling when the last time she had a good meal was."

He smiled at her. "Wanna help?"

Her smile grew. "Sure." Mikey grinned, wrapping an arm around his sister's shoulders as they headed for the kitchen.

In the bedroom, Raph continued to hold Mona Lisa as her crying slowly died away. "Do ya wanna talk about it?"

She shook her head against him. "No, I can't. Not yet."

"Okay." He rubbed her back. "Take as long as ya need. I'll be ready to listen, when you're ready to talk."

"Thank you, Raphael." She shifted a little closer to him. "Will you hold me a little longer?"

"Yeah." He pressed his cheek to the top of her head. "As long as ya want." And so, they sat in his bed for a long time. Mona didn't sleep, but she was slowly beginning to relax. The longer he held her, the more she began to feel like herself again. She wondered if this is where their relationship would have gone, if she hadn't been captured by Filch. They had barely gotten to spend any time together before she was taken.

"I'm sorry."

Raph lifted his head and frowned in confusion. "For what?"

"For being caught. For being gone for so long."

"Mona, how can ya even begin to think any of that was your fault? Ya didn't choose any of that or any of the things that happened to ya after that." He pressed her tight to his plastron. "You're alive and ya came back. What else could I ask for?"

"But we were... I was gone for so long. We lost so much time."

He sighed. "I have missed ya. But the way I see it, I can dwell on the past or focus on the future." He leaned back to look down at her. "I mean, if ya still wanna have one with me."

She blushed and nodded. "I'd like to try."

He smiled warmly. "I would too."

* * *

A/N: Off to a bumpy start for these cuties, but Raphie will make it all better. He's so sweet in this one!

Don't forget to leave a review!


	2. Adjusting

A/N: Thanks for the faves and the reviews!

* * *

"Hey, dudette." Mikey and Sams stopped outside Raph's alcove. "Are you feelin' any better?"

"A little." Mona leaned into Raph a bit more.

Sams smiled. "That's good! We thought maybe you were hungry."

"Yeah, we made you an awesome pizza with pepperoni and chocolate sauce." Mikey stepped up beside them with a plate.

Mona slowly smiled. "Yeah, I am a bit hungry."

"I know I sleep better on a full tank." Mikey grinned as he handed the plate to Raph.

"Thanks, Michelangelo." Raph set the plate on the bed beside them.

"If you need anything, let me know. I can always make a trip topside to get you something." Sams offered.

"I will." Mona still wasn't sure what to make of the girl. After the two left, she sat up a little to eat the pizza. She looked up at Raph with curiosity. "She's Leonardo's wife?"

Raph couldn't help the chuckle. "Yeah, as strange as it sounds, she is. She swept him off his feet. Poor guy was lovesick for weeks. But Sams is great. She's good for him, but don't tell him I said that."

Mona actually giggled a little and it made his insides warm. She glanced in the direction of the living room. "And that other girl?"

"Katherine. She and Donatello have been seeing each other for a little over six months, but their relationship has become more permanent in the last few." He looked across the room at his brother's alcove, remembering the resentment and anger he'd felt just that morning about him spending so much time with her. Now, sitting there with Mona Lisa beside him, he could understand a lot more. Leo had been right. Just because they cared for their women, didn't mean they didn't care for the rest of them too. _I should probably apologize to Leonardo._

"Mm, this is good."

Raph looked down to see the two slices of pizza gone and Mona licking her fingers free of chocolate sauce. "Yeah, Michelangelo can come up with some weird combos sometimes, but every once in a while, he gets it right."

Mona saw him look at the empty plate and blushed. "I guess I was hungrier than I thought."

"Do ya want more?" Raph knew that Mikey had left the rest for her. He'd probably made an entirely different pizza just for himself.

She frowned, her eyes downcast. "I'd better not. I might get sick."

He frowned as well. "Why?"

Her reply was soft and almost shameful. "I'm not used to eating so much."

Guilt washed over him again. "They didn't feed ya?"

"They did, just nothing like this. Except for when I…" She trailed off, swallowing hard. "Never mind."

His frown deepened as he reached out to draw her against him. She was trembling all over again. "Hey, you're safe. I'm right here."

Mona took in several deep breaths, trying to calm her pounding heart. Even the memory of those days spent without any food, made her stomach hurt. That had been one of the worst punishments she'd received for trying to escape. The restraint collar hurt but it was temporary. The drugs they'd pump her full of would make her sick and disoriented, but again that was temporary. However, when they'd starved her for five days, she'd nearly given up. She'd thought she was going to die and a part of her wanted to. It would have been a welcome release from her captivity.

Her handlers had been particularly upset about that escape attempt and wanted her to remember who was in control. They'd only started feeding her again when Dr. Franks had discovered what they were doing. He'd insisted they begin to feed her again. After all, he couldn't let his favorite test-subject die.

Mona shuddered and Raph's arms tightened around her. "Ya wanna try to sleep some more?"

She shook her head. If she closed her eyes, the memories would flood her again. Sleep was not a sanctuary to her; it was another form of torture. One with lasting effects. At least awake, she could focus on the present – the knowledge that she was free and the safety of Raphael's arms. "Just hold me." She murmured into his plastron.

Raph didn't reply, he simply shifted to lean against the headboard. Mona curled into his side, her head resting on his chest, listening to the steady thump of his heart.

* * *

"What! You let her get away! You idiots!" Dr. Peter Franks glared daggers at the three men.

"I know I hit it with a dart! Maybe your sedatives don't work on it no more." Bill, a man with short brown hair and a mustache complained.

The doctor continued to glare. "No. You must have missed her. Did you even look around the area?"

"We did and we found somethin' interestin' actually." A much larger man, Tony, pulled a polaroid from his pocket. "Footprints. And they ain't hers."

Dr. Franks took the photo and examined it. They were two-toed like his experiment, but it lacked her webbing. Plus, they looked significantly larger and heavier. "Where did you find these?"

"In the tunnel near where we lost it." Tony told him.

"What are ya thinkin' doc? Ya think it might be another lizard thing? Maybe a whole nest of 'em we never knew about." Al was slender and tall. He hung back behind his companions.

Dr. Franks rubbed his chin. "No, but it certainly looks intriguing. Go back and see if you can find either the experiment or this other creature."

"Go back? Aw, doc, we searched that whole area already. The footprints just disappeared." Bill pointed out.

"I don't care! Go back and see if you can find anything at all! And don't come back until you do!" Dr. Franks turned and stormed out of the lab, his nerdy assistant following.

* * *

"Master Splinter, these people that held Mona Lisa captive will certainly be looking for her." Leo sat across from his sensei and father.

"Yes, I doubt the danger has passed yet. You and your brothers must be very careful for some time." Splinter took a sip of his tea. "It would be wise also to keep an eye on both Samantha and Katherine. Perhaps even for them to remain below until we are certain Mona Lisa's pursuers have given up."

Leo frowned. "I don't think Sams or Katherine will like that."

"I believe it is necessary though." The old rat could see that his son was not looking forward to passing on that piece of information. As strong-willed as Sams was, she was likely going to put up a fight. "It may be best, if I explained this to them."

Leo's shoulders sagged in relief. "Could you, Master? I mean, I think they'd be more willing to listen to you."

"I agree."

"How long do you think we'll have to be this vigilant?" Leo knew Katherine and Don had obligations on the surface, and would not appreciate a prolonged confinement.

"I would assume no more than a few days. I believe by then our enemy will have given up searching the sewers for our friend."

Leo frowned again. Unfortunately, he had to agree, even though his family may not be happy with the decision. He would simply have to be firm about it. The time would definitely help Mona Lisa adjust better. "I'm very concerned about her. I hope her mind hasn't been damaged beyond healing."

"We shall help her with that healing, my son. I believe with meditation and training, she can move past the trauma. But first, we must give her time to settle in and become comfortable with us."

Leo smirked. "I think she's already comfortable with Raphael."

Splinter chuckled. "Indeed, she does seem particularly attached to him. That too should help heal her wounds."

Raph stopped outside the bathroom door. "I'll be right out here, if ya need me."

Mona gave him a small smile and leaned up to wrap her arms around his neck again. "Thank you again, Raphael."

He let out a heavy sigh. Her slim body felt so good in his arms, like they were made for one another. She kissed his cheek before stepping away into the bathroom. For a long moment, he stood staring at the wooden door. He was almost afraid to leave her alone, even for the span of time it took for a shower. She still seemed so lost.

"Raphael?" Leo appeared with Splinter. He looked around. "Where's Mona Lisa?"

He jabbed a thumb at the door. "Takin' a shower."

"I thought it might make her feel better." Sams said from the couch, where she and Mikey were watching television.

Leo nodded. "That's a good idea."

Don stepped out of the lab followed by a somber looking Katherine. He looked around. When he saw Raph standing outside the bathroom door and heard the sound of water on the other side, he deduced that Mona was bathing. "Good, everyone's here. I finally found Mona's file." He kept his voice low as not to carry into the bathroom. "To say she's had a rough time would be grievous understatement."

Mikey stood up. "What'd they do to her?"

Tears pooled in Katherine's eyes. "They practically tortured her!"

Don squeezed her hand before turning back to the others. "They experiment on her using everything from electrical shock to cutting her open." He met Raph's gaze. "I can't blame her for being so frightened. Anyone else that went through that would be too and they may not have made it. She's pretty strong to have survived it."

Raph was shaking, fist clenched at his sides. Anger burned through his system. These monsters were going to pay for hurting her!

"Did you find out where they were keeping her?" Leo asked.

"Yes. For a while they kept her in a compound upstate, but apparently, she kept trying to escape and she did several times. That's why they moved her back to the city. The lab here has a more secure facility." Don approached Raph and put a hand on his shoulder. "She's been kept in a cage for the last eight years."

Raph clenched his eyes shut. It was too much. It was just too much! For them to treat the sweet and innocent Mona like that was unforgivable. He wanted to pound something so bad at that moment. "I wanna know what they did to 'er. I wanna know everything."

Don frowned and glanced at Leo. "I'm not so sure that's a good idea."

Raph's head shot up, a fire blazing in his caramel eyes. "No! I wanna know!"

Don's frown deepened, but he nodded. "Okay, but later in private." Raph glanced at the closed door and then at his brother, then gave a sharp nod.

"I think that would be best too. But for right now, we have something else to discuss. Those people that were after Mona are still likely looking for her. Which means they could be searching the sewers right now." Leo reminded them.

Raph folded his arms. "I made sure they couldn't follow me."

"How far away did you find her?" Leo prompted.

"About a mile north of here. If I remember right, it was near Prospect Avenue and 163rd Street."

Leo frowned. "That's still pretty close."

"That is why I have decided that for the time being everyone should remain here. We cannot chance someone learning the location of our home." As expected, Splinter received several shocked looks. "If it becomes absolutely necessary to return to the surface, then you will speak with me before doing so. Is that understood?"

The four turtles snapped to attention. "Yes, sensei." They replied in unison.

"And just to be clear, this applies to everyone." Splinter watched as both Sams and Katherine gave small nods.

Inside the bathroom, Mona had stood for several long moments beside the door. She knew she was being irrational. This room was completely sealed off. No one could get in there. And yet she stood shaking, wanting nothing more than to run back outside and bury her face in Raph's chest. Taking several deep breaths, reminding herself that she was completely alone and she was not locked in, she made her way to the shower. Dropping the only personal item she'd been allowed to keep - her belt - on the floor, she turned on the water.

It was warm and soothing as it rolled over her fingers. She stepped inside and allowed the droplets to trail down her shoulders and across her green skin. She gasped as the memory hit her unexpectedly.

**_-Flashback-_**

_She was thrust back into the dark dank cell and fell to her knees. "You're going to regret trying to run away again." The large man with dark hair scowled at her._

_Panic began to fill her chest. What would they do to her this time? She scooted away from the bars as far as she could get. A thin man with large glasses entered the room. And another wave of panic shot through her. He only came in when they were going to do stuff to her – to hurt her._

_"Dr. Franks wants the creature moved to lab eight for more exposure research." The man glanced at her and frowned. "What happened here? Why is it so filthy!"_

_"It tried to escape again. We caught 'er in one of the drainage pipes." Tony told him._

_The thin man made a face of disgust. "Well, you can't bring it into the lab like that. Clean it up and make it fast. We don't want to keep Dr. Franks waiting."_

_As he left Tony turned to sneer at her. "I have just the thing." He walked across the room to pull out the fire hose from the emergency box. He returned with the same sneer. "I told ya, you was gonna regret it." He turned on the hose._

_The blast of cold water hit her nearly straight in the face. She cringed and shivered. The water stung. When she tried to turn away from it, it only opened up more vulnerable areas of her body to the man. It felt like being struck by tiny icicles. It hurt! "Please, stop!"_

_The man laughed. "Gotta get ya all cleaned up for the doc, you filthy little freak."_

_The cold seemed to be seeping into her bones. She shivered more violently. Then, she tried to ball herself up, but he wouldn't let her. Every time she moved towards the ground, he squirted her dead in the face. At one point he held it right there and didn't move. She couldn't breathe. Too much water in her mouth and nose going into her lungs. She was going to drown on dry land!_

_Finally, the stream was shut off. She sank to the floor, coughing up water. Her skin was freezing!_

_"Woops, it looks like you're all wet now. Gonna have to dry ya off." He put away the hose and rolled a large industrial fan over. _

_The blast of cold air was just as painful. Her lips felt numb as she mumbled. "Please…" The man's laughter echoed in her ears as she curled into a tight ball and pressed herself into the wall in an attempt to shield herself from the onslaught. But that did little good as the wall too was ice cold. She was trembling so hard. Her fingers and toes were numb. Now, she was fighting to just stay awake. The fight was in vain as blackness consumed her._

* * *

A/N: Poor Mona... T_T

Don't forget to review!


	3. Atrocities

A/N: I'm so glad you guys are liking this one! You guys are the best. And I'm not just saying that. XD You're awesome!

* * *

Raph paced back and forth near the bathroom door. Something felt wrong.

"She's been in there a long time." Sams commented. "Do you think she's okay?"

Raph ground his teeth. He wanted to check on her, but he also wanted to allow her some privacy. He had a feeling she hadn't gotten much of that in a long, _long_ time. He paced for another moment before his concern got the better of him. He knocked on the old wood door loud enough that he knew he'd be heard over the sound of the water. "Mona?" No answer. "Mona, are ya okay?" Not a single response came from inside, only the continued white noise of the shower. He tested the knob and eased the door open, knocking again at the same time. "Mona?" He looked around the bathroom. Nothing seemed out of order.

Slowly, he approached the clawfoot tub with the shower curtain pulled around it. He pulled it back to find Mona sitting in the tub curled into a ball, tears rolling down her cheeks. His heart broke all over again. "Oh, Mona…" As he turned off the water, he noted that it was no longer warm. This finally seemed to snap her out of whatever was happening in her head.

She opened haunted brown eyes to stare up at him. "I'm sorry." She croaked softly.

"Hey, no. I just got worried, that's all." He offered her his hand. "Come on, let's get ya dried off."

She swiped at her face and allowed him to help her from the old tub. He wrapped one of the large towels around her and she dropped her gaze to the floor. "You must think I'm crazy. I can't even take a shower without freaking out."

"What? No." He gently lifted her chin to meet his eyes. "You were locked away in a cage and tortured for eight years! No one could come out of that completely undamaged." He shook his head. "I know I couldn't've."

She shook her head as well. "But you're strong. Stronger than I could ever be."

He sighed, pulling her to him. "You are too or you wouldn't be here right now. You just need to give it time." There was a small nod against his plastron that only seemed to break his heart further. After helping dry her off, he brought her back into the living room. "I need to talk to Donatello. Ya gonna be okay here for a few minutes?" She gave another small nod.

"We'll keep her company, bro." Mikey smiled at Mona from the couch where he, Leo, and Sams were still watching a movie. Raph gave him a grateful smile, before stepping away from Mona into the lab. Mikey stood up and grinned at her. "Come on, dudette." He gestured at his place on the couch next to Sams. Mona settled herself quietly beside the other girl. "I think we got some catchin' up to do. What was the last movie you remember seein'?"

Caught slightly off guard, Mona had to strain her mind to recall it. "Um, I'm not real sure. I think it was Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure."

Mikey lit up. "Really!"

Leo laughed. "That's one of his favorites."

"That movie rocked! Hey, I think we've got the sequel around here somewhere." Mikey turned and started digging through the large pile of VHS tapes.

Mona raised a brow. "They made a part two?"

"Yeah, it wasn't as good as the first one though." Sams was curled into Leo's side, his arm wrapped around her.

"But still totally awesome!" Mikey shot them a wide grin over his shoulder, making Mona giggle a little.

Raphael stepped into the lab to find Don still on his computer, Katherine seated beside him. She looked up as he entered. "You want some coffee?" She asked Don.

He gave her a small smile. "Sure." She pecked his cheek and squeezed his arm, before leaving the brothers alone.

Raph frowned after her, then at Don. "Is it that bad?"

Donnie let out a heavy breath. "Yes, I'm afraid so. You're sure you want to hear this?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. I wanna know what they did to 'er. I can't help 'er, unless I know."

Don nodded and gestured at the empty seat beside him. The genius pulled up the files he'd downloaded earlier. He locked eyes with his brother. "This isn't pretty and realize that some of this she may not even know they did to her." Raph nodded and Don opened one of the files. "This is a log of the different experiments and when they took place. Each one of these events has its own file. But this gives us an overview of what happened." Raph watched as Don scrolled through the list. "They subjected her to extreme environmental conditions like excessive heat and cold. They exposed her to harmful chemicals to see how body reacted to them – everything from gas to acid. And they even gave her hallucinatory drugs to see how they affected her system. Apparently, they also used them to keep her under control at times, along with an electronic restraint collar."

Don paused. Raph was shaking and his knuckles were white where he clenched his fists in his lap. Rage was already brewing like dark storm clouds behind his caramel eyes. They flashed up at him. "Is that all?" Raph's voice was tight with restraint.

Don swallowed. No, the worst was yet to come. "No, they cut pieces off her."

"What! Why!"

"Her mutation seems to have given her the ability to regenerate like when lizards lose their tails, but at an exponentially accelerated rate. Where it normally takes salamanders around sixty to ninety days to regenerate limbs, it only takes her around ten."

Raph frowned. "Ain't that a good thing?"

"It is. But it also means they had more opportunities to remove limbs." Don sighed. "Raphael, they have cut off her tail at least a dozen times, each of her arms three times, and each leg twice."

Absolute horror followed by fury crossed Raph's face and he came to his feet. "Those monsters!" That explained all the thin scar lines over her body.

He started to leave, but Don caught his arm. "Wait, there's one more thing I need to tell you."

Raph stared at him, his heart pounding in his chest. The look on his brother's face was a mixture of sorrow and anger. "It's worse?" He breathed. Don nodded. What could possibly be worse than being dismembered repeatedly?

"Sit down." Don ordered gently. Raph slowly did as asked, his gaze never leaving Don's. "They also cut her open. They took…" Donnie almost couldn't say it. With a great deal of effort, he forced it out past the lump in his throat. "They took her eggs."

The chair Raph was sitting in crashed to the floor as he came out of it. "What!" He roared. These people had gone way too far! To steal her unborn children! It was horrendous. It was – well - inhuman! "I'm gonna kill every single one of 'em!"

Don jumped to his feet, grabbing his shoulders. He glanced towards the door and lowered his voice. "She probably doesn't know."

"Then we need to tell 'er!"

Panic flickered across Don's features. "No, that could do her far more harm than good right now! She's been traumatized enough. This will only make matters worse."

"She needs to know!"

Don squeezed his brother's shoulders. "We'll tell her eventually. But let's wait until she's more stable. Think about what that knowledge could do to her right now!"

Raph pulled away from him and paced back and forth, his whole body trembling with rage. Don was right. Knowing these people had not only stole years of her life, but also her possible children could send her spiraling over the edge. "Fine." He huffed, clenching his jaw. "Anything else I should know?"

This time Donnie shook his head. "No. But realize this list is only what was written down. There's no telling what else was done to her that wasn't recorded."

"Got it." Raph spun on his heel and stormed out of the room. He made a beeline to the dojo, immediately slamming his fists into the heavy punching bag. Rage and guilt filled him until it seemed to seep from his every pore. _If I'd only looked harder! If I'd only looked longer! I could have saved her all that pain! I will not let these people get away with this!_ It felt like ages before the world around him regained any of its clarity past the blinding red fury burning in his heart.

As his senses came back to him, he realized he wasn't alone. He could feel her presence just beyond the doorway. Her soft footsteps approached him slowly, almost cautiously. She stopped a few feet behind him. "Raphael?" She asked tentatively.

He turned to look down into those dark brown eyes again. How could a person go through so much and still look so completely innocent? How could those people look at her and not see the beautiful soul beneath that lovely green skin? "Mona…" He croaked softly, before wrapping her in a tight embrace. "I'm sorry. I'm so very sorry. I never should have stopped looking for you." His voice broke, choked with tears. "I swear that it'll never happen again. I will always be here for you, no matter what."

She buried her face against his shoulder, her tears warm against his skin. They stood clutching one another as their shared pain filled the silence.

* * *

"There ain't nothin' here. The doc sent us on a wild goose chase." Al grumbled as he continued to scan the ground for any sign of their escapee.

"I know, but he said not to come back without somethin'." Tony was just as frustrated. They'd already gone through the area with a fine tooth comb the first time and came up empty handed. He had no idea what Dr. Franks expected them to find.

"Even those footprints are gone." Bill stretched his back. "We ain't gonna find nothin'. We already looked."

Tony glared at him. "It don't matter. The doc says look, so we're gonna look."

Bill walked farther up the tunnel and stopped at a corner. "Come check this out." His companions joined him and they all stared at the large pile of neatly stacked pizza boxes. "I'd say this counts as somethin'."

"It's just a pile of trash." Al didn't see what was so special about empty pizza boxes.

Tony walked forward and picked one of the boxes up. "Vinney's? Hey, ain't there a place called Vinney's a few blocks from here?"

"Yeah, so?" Al still didn't get what was so interesting.

Bill snorted. "So, somebody must've put these boxes here, numbskull! They didn't just appear out of thin air!"

Al looked around the area. "There ain't nothin' else here, not even footprints."

"Maybe, but somebody's had to 've been here. I say let's take some pictures and let the doc figure it out." Tony put the box back on the stack. "Besides, by the look of it these boxes were put here for a reason."

A few hours later they returned to IPRC. "What is this supposed to be?" Dr. Franks scowled at the polaroid.

"That's all we could find. We thought it was weird that all them boxes were stack up like that, all neat and stuff." Tony explained.

Franks stared at the photo again. "Yes, that is rather odd. But they could've been put there by anyone."

"But there weren't no footprints or anythin'. It's like whoever put 'em there wanted to make sure they weren't followed." Bill pointed out.

Franks rubbed his chin. "Hmm, well, if there are other intelligent creatures like our little runaway down there, it would be prudent to keep an eye on that section of the sewers."

* * *

"So, uh, I know we're supposed to be hiddin' and all, but this was trash night. What are we gonna do with these and the stuff piled near the ladder? Should we go ahead and take it up to the dumpster?" Mikey stood staring at the three large garbage bags.

Leo shook his head. "No, we can't risk it right now. Just put these in the garage and leave the stuff in the tunnel for now. We'll just have to drive it all out to the dump ourselves later."

Mikey grinned. "Good call, dude."

Raph snorted from where he and Mona sat at the table. "Yeah, because it's your turn to take it out."

Mikey's grin spread. "Of course! That means I don't gotta tote them topside."

Leo glanced at the pair. "Is that tea helping any?" Mona looked slightly more relaxed than she had an hour ago. But Raph still looked tense.

The green-skinned girl gave a small nod. "Yes, thank you."

"You sure you're not hungry? I could whip ya up another pizza." Mikey offered.

A weak smile touched her lips. "No, Michelangelo, I'm fine. I promise to let you know when I get hungry."

He grinned. "Cool, I'll make ya anything you want."

Mona watched Samantha settle into the chair beside Leo. "So, uh, how did you two meet?"

Leo smiled, squeezing his wife's hand. "I suppose you could call it a happy accident."

Raph scoffed. "Accident? You had a metal rod jabbed through your leg."

Leo shrugged. "If I hadn't, Sams would never have had to patch me up."

"And you wouldn't have hogged my bed all night." Sams teased, leaning up to peck his cheek. When she sat back her brow scrunched. "How did you all meet?" She looked at the brothers. "You've never mentioned Mona before now."

Leo exchanged a look with Mikey and Don. "Well, you see, we kinda decided not to a long time ago."

"They did it for me." Raph said softly, looking down into his cup of tea and searching for the right words.

Mona frowned at him. "What do you mean?"

Mikey set a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Raphael was pretty torn up when you disappeared."

Don glanced at Katherine standing beside him and then Leo. "I guess we can understand more now what he was going through." He cupped Katherine's cheek. "I couldn't imagine even one minute without you." She smiled and wrapped her arms around him, resting her head against his shoulder.

Leo frowned looking down at his own cup. "Yeah, just the few days Sams and I were apart nearly tore me to pieces." She frowned as well, stroking his arm soothingly. She hadn't been much better off.

Mona watched the two couples before returning her gaze to Raph. "You thought I'd just taken off."

"I didn't really know what to think." Raph couldn't meet her eyes. The pain he'd buried all those years ago was resurfacing. At least he knew now what had happened. He recalled the guilt in her voice earlier that morning, so he had to make her understand it wasn't her fault. Finally, he lifted his caramel eyes to meet her brown ones. "Like I said, we looked for you for a long time when you first disappeared. But after a while, I guess I convinced myself that ya had. Even though I never really believed you'd do a thing like that." He ran a rough knuckle gently down her cheek. "Now, I know we never should have stopped lookin'. I hope ya can forgive me."

Tears welled again in her large eyes and she caught his hand, squeezing it. "I do. I understand. I was gone for so long."

"We have to take some of that blame as well." Leo told her. "After nearly a year, we convinced Raphael that if you had left, then there was no point in continuing a fruitless search." He reached across the table to take one of her small green hands. "We did you a terrible injustice – both of you." He met Raph's gaze with a regretful one, before releasing her hand.

An awkward heavy silence filled the room. At last, Katherine broke it. "Oh, I've been meaning to ask you, if you wanted to borrow any clothes. I know Sams' wouldn't fit you, but mine might."

Mona blushed a little. "It is a bit cold down here."

Raph frowned. "Yeah, that's somethin' ya just have to get used to."

"If it starts to bother you too much, we have some UV lamps." Don offered. They used them on occasion, when they couldn't get out or it was extremely cold above ground.

"I do have a few sweaters down here. You're welcome to them." Katherine still had most of her clothes in her little studio apartment. But knowing they would likely spend a great deal of time in the lair as well, she'd brought some down.

Mona rubbed her arms. "That's very kind of you. It would be nice to warm up a bit."

Katherine moved to her side. "Come on, I'll show you what I have." Mona glanced at Raph, then slowly rose to follow Katherine out.

Raph uncertainly watched them leave. Don moved to sit at the table with the others. "Has she told you anything?"

Raphael frowned. "No."

"Guys, she just got here and she hasn't seen us in years. You can't really expect her to spill her guts right off the bat." Mikey pointed out with his own frown.

Leo nodded. "Michelangelo's right. I think we may be expecting too much from her too fast. Master Splinter suggested training her would help, meditation too." He sighed. "In the meantime, we should be planning out what we're going to do when we find these people."

* * *

A/N: Poor Mona... Those researchers are so cruel!


	4. Beneath the Surface

A/N: This chapter is just so FLUFFY!

* * *

"Really! Mona Lisa is back! Where's she been!" April's smile nearly glowed on the turtle-com's little screen.

Leo sighed. "Well, that's a long story. And part of the reason we called. Do you know anything about a place called IPRC – Infinite Possibilities Research Corporation?"

"Sorry, never heard of them. I could do some digging for you. Later I could come down and tell you what I found. It would be great to see Mona!"

Leo frowned. "You can't come down right now. There are people from IPRC searching the sewers for her at the moment." He glanced towards the living room. "Plus, she's not really ready for visitors. We would appreciate anything else you can find on them though. Donatello has already hacked their system, so we have a good idea of what they are doing in there. And it's not good."

April's eyes widened. "They were holding Mona? Did they hurt her?"

Leo's expression turned hard. "Yes. We're planning on going after them. But if you could come up with a legitimate way to shut them down, that would really be helpful. Donatello can send you what he has."

April gave a firm nod. "I understand. I'll do what I can."

"Thanks, April. We'll let you know when we feel it's safe for you to come down." They said their goodbyes and Leo returned to the living room. As he looked around, he could see just how tired his family was from the extremely taxing day.

The credits began to play for the movie they'd been watching and Don stood. "I think we're going to head to bed." He pulled Katherine to her feet and started for the bedroom area, pausing only briefly to pat Raph on the shoulder.

"I think we will too. It is getting rather late." Leo gestured to Sams and she moved to his side.

"You're all going to bed? Sheesh, what party poopers! When did we turn into the Grumpy Old Ninja Turtles?" Mikey complained.

Leo chuckled. "It has been a very long day, Michelangelo."

As he started to turn away, Raph spoke up. "Hey, uh, Leonardo about this morning. I'm sorry I flew off the handle. I get it now."

Leo's smile wavered as he glanced at Mona. "I suppose you do. But I guess it was a good thing you went storming out of here when you did, or you might not have found Mona in time."

Raph smiled a bit and glanced at Mona as well. "Yeah, you're right. Would that qualify as a happy accident?"

Samantha giggled. "I think it does!"

Leo gave another small chuckle. "Goodnight, guys."

When they were gone, Raph looked back at the lovely creature beside him. "Do ya wanna go to bed? You had a rougher day than the rest of us."

Mona frowned. "Actually, this has been one of the easiest and by far best days that I've had in very a long time. And I really don't want it to end yet." She also was scared to go back to sleep. She was afraid the nightmarish memories would return or worse, she'd wake up in her cell and this all would have been a dream.

Raph could sense her growing unease with the thought of sleep. He stroked her hair as she leaned into him. "What is it?"

She hesitated for a long moment. Just as he decided she wasn't going to answer, she spoke. "I guess I'm afraid this may all be a dream – a very vivid one. What if when I wake up, I'm still locked in that cage? They could have drugged me up. I could be hallucinating this entire day."

Mikey moved to sit beside them on the couch. "We're real, dudette. And you are really here with us." Mona just frowned and dropped her eyes to the floor. The brothers exchanged a look. There really wasn't anything they could do to convince her this was reality. And considering what those people had put her through, Raph could understand her doubt. Mikey put a hand on her shoulder and she looked up at him. He smiled at her. "They're havin' a kung-fu marathon tonight. Wanna watch it?"

Two movies and four hours later, Mikey stood and stretched. "I'm gonna crash." He handed Mona the remote. "But there's gonna be at least two more."

Raph yawned as his brother left the two alone. Beside him, Mona rubbed her eyes. She was obviously tired, but fighting it desperately. Sighing, he sat forward and took the remote from her turning off the TV. She frowned. "What did you do that for? I thought we were going to watch some more."

He shook his head. "You're tired. Ya need to sleep."

She twisted her hands in her lap. "No, I-I don't want to. You can go to bed, if you want. You don't have to stay with me."

Raph let out a heavy sigh and gently turned her face up to meet his eyes. "I am not goin' anywhere. Now, what's really the problem? What can I do to make ya feel better and get ya to sleep? Cause ya really do need it."

She fidgeted, but resigned herself to her fate. Raph was obviously tired and it was nearly four in the morning. "I… I don't want to be alone. The nightmares… They'll just come back." She hesitated, looking up at him through her lashes. "Do you mind… Will you stay with me?"

He smirked. "If that was all it was, I could have told ya yes hours ago."

She blushed. "I didn't want to make you uncomfortable."

At that he actually laughed as he cupped her face in both hands. "Angel, you make me as far from uncomfortable as one can possibly get."

She smiled. "Really?"

"Really, really." He kissed her brow and pulled her to him. "Don't be afraid to tell me things. I told you I would listen whenever ya wanna talk. And I meant it." Her small body finally seemed to lose its fight and she sagged against him. A few minutes later, Raph slid into the small single bed beside her. She immediately buried herself against him, hoping his presence would keep the nightmares at bay. He lowered his head to speak close to her ear. "Nothin's gonna hurt ya as long as I'm here."

Her voice was soft and slightly muffled when she replied. "I know."

* * *

"It looks pretty clear to me." Don walked with his brothers as they did one final lap around the lair. They had waited two full days before venturing out. Leo had insisted they make at least four searches of the area before assuming the people from IPRC had given up. And for once, Raph had completely backed him up on it. He didn't want to take any chances.

So far, they hadn't found any evidence that anyone had been within a mile of their home. However, something told Leo that they still needed to be watchful and cautious. This wasn't over yet, not by a long shot. "Maybe, but I don't think it's a good idea for any of us to venture out on our own yet. They probably are still looking for her above ground."

Raph frowned as they turned and started for home. "I don't think Mona is ready to go anywhere anyways."

"Yeah, but she at least let you out of her sight for a while. That has to be a good sign." Mikey walked at the back with Don.

"It's slow, but there is definite improvement." Don concurred.

Leo glanced at Raph. "Master Splinter wants to start helping her with meditation tomorrow morning. Do you think she'll let him?"

Raph continued to frown as he thought that over. "I don't know for sure. But if anyone can convince 'er, it'd be Splinter."

They entered the lair to find the three girls seated on the couch. The television was on, but no one seemed to be paying attention to it. All three turned to look at them as they entered. "Well?" Sams asked.

"There doesn't seem to be any kind of activity, near lair anyways." Leo told them.

Don nodded. "And none of the perimeter sensors have been tripped."

Sams turned to lean over the back of the sofa with a wide grin. "Does that mean we aren't on lockdown anymore?"

Leo couldn't help but laugh at her expectant smile. "I'll double check with Master Splinter, but yeah I think so."

Katherine let out a sigh of relief. "Good. I didn't really want to cancel our Saturday tutoring session tomorrow."

Leo raised a hand with a frown. "That's fine, but none of us should venture out alone yet."

Katherine laughed as she stood and moved to wrap her arms around Donnie's neck. "Not to worry, I have no intention of leaving without my guy."

He chuckled, wrapping his arms around her waist. "And I have no intention of letting you leave without me."

"Still it might not be a bad idea for one of us to go with you tomorrow." Leo thought it would be safer, if at least two of the brothers went.

"I'll go!" Mikey grinned broadly. "I like the micro-dudes!"

Leo squeezed Sams' hand and went to tell Splinter their findings. Raph settled into the arm chair near Mona. "Leonardo was telling us that April wanted to see ya. Do ya feel up to it?"

Mona smiled a little. "It would be nice to see her again."

"I'll call 'er then. She'll be gettin' off after her broadcast."

Don glanced at the clock. "Which should be coming on right now."

Sams picked up the remote and flipped the channel just as the news began. April smiled brightly at the camera. "Thanks for joining us this evening. Tonight, we are going to begin an in-depth exposé on the treatment of a animals in research facilities. We recently visited White Research where they use animals to test beauty products…."

Mona had tensed the moment the word "research" had left April's mouth. But to her credit, she didn't freak out like she may have two days ago. "Oh, I see what she's doing." Don sat in the other armed chair and Katherine slipped into his lap. "She's going to use the cover of her story to try to get info on IPRC."

As the others watched April on the news, Sams silently moved to the doorway of the bedroom area and waited for Leo. He smiled at her when he finally appeared. She slipped her arms around his neck. "So, what did Splinter think?"

He ran his fingers through her blonde soft curls. "He agrees with me."

Mischief sparkled in her eyes. "So, does that mean we can take a walk?"

Leo felt his body rush with heat at the suggestion. He let out a heavy sigh. "I wish we could, Sweetheart, but it's probably not a good idea yet."

"Are you sure?" She asked coyly as she ran her mouth along his jaw and down his neck.

He groaned softly, his hold tightening on her. "Sams, we…we can't…not…not yet." He muffled a gasp when her fingers caressed the soft skin beneath the edge of his shell. Man, she was not making this easy! "Sams…" He panted quietly. Her mouth met his, and he devoured it hungrily. Pulling her around the corner into the bedroom area, out of direct sight from the others, he lifted her off her feet. Her legs wrapped around him. His body went hard. She was driving him crazy! He broke their kiss, trying to regain his senses. "We can't leave."

"Okay." She lowered herself to her feet. For a moment disappointment flooded him, until she smiled. "I'm going to take a shower. Wanna come?"

His eyes widened. "But…" He glanced around the corner at their family gathered in the living room, which shared a wall with the bathroom. She pulled away from him to gather some clothes. When she came back, she paused beside him to give him another heated kiss. Then she smirked as she pulled away and went off into the bathroom. No one seemed to notice her enter. Leo dragged a hand down his face, his body throbbing. After another moment of debate, he made up his mind. He also slipped unnoticed into the bathroom, being sure to lock the door behind him.

Some time later, Leo emerged to find everyone had moved off to the kitchen. Don stepped into the doorway and smiled at him. "Sams in there?" Leo blushed and Don's smile grew into a grin. "Not a bad idea. Just, uh, don't hog the bathroom." He winked and Leo let out a laugh.

"I promise." He glanced at the door behind him. "Sams was just getting, you know…" He waved his hand.

Donnie laughed and shot a quick glance over his shoulder in Katherine's direction. "Yeah, believe me, I know."

Leo smiled. "It's a good thing we won't be cooped up in here too long."

"That reminds me, have you talked to the guys about Mondo's place?"

Leo sighed. "Yeah, that was the reason Raphael took off the other morning."

Don frowned thoughtfully. "Well, maybe he can see it from a different perspective now."

Leo nodded as he joined him in the kitchen doorway. "I think he does."

"What about Sensei?"

Leo frowned. "I haven't talked to him about it yet. I wanted to run it past them first." Leo gestured at their brothers sitting around the table. "But I think I'll wait until things calm down a bit before bringing it up again."

The genius nodded. "That'd probably be best for now."

The bathroom door opened and Samantha blushed at Don standing with Leo. The younger brother chuckled as he turned away back into the other room. Leo smiled as she moved towards him. He wrapped her in his arms and kissed her brow.

"Hey! Where is everybody?" April stepped through the lair's entrance.

Leo's brow bunched. "April? What are you doing here?"

"Raphael called. He said it should be okay to come down to see Mona Lisa now." She frowned. "It is okay?"

He hesitated. He hadn't wanted her to come down just yet. That's why he hadn't called her himself. "Yes. Did you make sure you weren't followed?"

"Yeah, I did."

"Okay, but it might be best if we took you home later. Those people could still be out there looking for Mona." He explained.

She nodded. "Speaking of which, where is she?"

"In here." Leo turned with Sams and joined the others in the kitchen.

Mikey spotted her first. "Hey, April! How's it goin'?"

"We saw your broadcast. That's a very interesting topic you picked." Don smiled at her.

She grinned back. "Yeah, I thought you might like that one." Mona turned to look at her and April moved towards her. "Mona! It's so good to see you again!"

Mona stood and hugged her. "You too!"

Raph smiled as he watched the two get reacquainted. As they ate and the night drew on, he was finally starting to think that Mona was beginning to feel better. She was still quieter than she used to be, but she was interacting more with everyone. When it was time for April to leave, Leo and Mikey offered to drive her home. That way there was less chance of being spotted in the sewers. Don and Katherine had immediately gone off to bed, stating they had to get up early to prepare for their tutoring session. Sams hadn't been far behind them, though she wasn't likely to actually sleep until Leo got back.

Now, left alone Mona and Raph sat on the couch. He knew what was to follow. He'd have to convince her to go to bed again. She was still suffering from nightmares. She glanced at the bathroom and then the bedroom. "Earlier were they…?"

Raph chuckled. "Yeah."

Mona looked down at her hands. "They must love each other a lot."

"Yeah." He frowned at her slightly sad expression and brushed a hand through her hair. He gave her a small smile when she looked up at him. "What do ya say in a few days, when we're certain those creeps aren't still lookin' around the sewers for ya, we go somewhere? I mean, if ya feel up to it."

She gave him a weak smile. "Where?"

He thought about that for a minute. He didn't want to take her somewhere with a big crowd like a movie theater. She might feel trapped in a place like that. "How about we start with somethin' easy like Vinney's? It's not too crowded there."

She nodded, but still felt uncertain. She wasn't sure she was ready to be around people yet. But maybe by then she would be. And if Raph was there, she was almost positive she could handle it. "Okay, as long as you're with me."

Raph smiled. "I already told ya, I'm not leaving your side for anything."

Her smile became more genuine. "I remember."

"How about we go to bed too. I'll hold ya again."

She frowned again and let out a shuddering breath. She knew when she closed her eyes, she'd be back there – in that cell – alone. Being held by Raphael had undoubtedly helped. He had kept away the worst of the memories. But they were still there – waiting in the shadows of her mind. She knew also that she was keeping him up. Every time she'd startle awake, he'd also wake. He never said anything, just held her tighter until her heart would stop racing and the panic would settle. "You must be tired, having to keep an eye on me all night."

Raph smirked. "Nah, to tell the truth, I like holdin' ya." He sighed. "I haven't ever had anyone to hold before." He played with a lock of her long brown hair. "Not that I have ever wanted it to be anyone else but you."

Mona's eyes sparkled, her heart so full and warm. She cupped his face and leaned forward to press her lips to his. Raph slipped his arms around her to pull her closer. He'd waited for this moment for so long. And it was even more incredible than he'd hoped. Her lips were soft and her body warm. Her scent had always been something that tantalized him. It was so uniquely hers. And now that the smells of the laboratory where she'd spent so many years had been washed away, it was much more potent. He moved slowly so as not to frighten her as he cupped the back of her head. He wanted to deepen the kiss so badly, but he waited for her.

When their lips had touched, Mona had felt a fire pulse through her entire body. When he wrapped his arms around and pulled her closer, it made that fire grow. If it had been anyone else, she might have pulled away after just a few moments. But with Raphael things had always felt so natural. His fingers tangled in her hair and she couldn't resist the urge to open up to him. Slow and tender his tongue brushed hers. The moan that left her made them both shiver. Encouraged, Raph deepened the kiss and her grip on his shoulders tightened.

Time seemed to stand still; the world muffled by the sound of their two hearts pounding. She moved closer, needing to feel more of him against her, until she was nearly in his lap. After what felt like forever, she pulled away. She didn't move far though, only far enough to meet his eyes. They held each other's gaze for a long moment. Raph caressed her cheek, adoration danced behind the caramel. "Will you let me hold ya again?"

She smiled warmly. "Yes, for as long as you want."

* * *

A/N: Raph, you're so smooth. XD


	5. Plans Change

A/N: Raph and Mona only seemed to be getting cuter as this story goes along. But you know me, there's always trouble lurking somewhere.

* * *

"Have you completed your research, Doctor?" A male voiced asked over the line.

"There's been some setbacks. I'll need more time." Dr. Franks shifted the papers on his desk.

"Your deadline is close, Doctor. I will expect results." The man told him, an unspoken threat hanging in the air.

"And you'll get them. But if you rush me, they may not be the ones you want."

"We are the ones funding your project. It would be a shame, if that funding was taken away."

The line went dead and Franks scowled at the receiver. With his primary experiment missing, progress was slower. But it hadn't stopped. The data he'd received over the years from his subject was extremely useful. With the extraction of her eggs and the resulting clones he'd finally located the genes that jump-started regeneration. With this new information, he'd scored a very large government contract. Of course, that wasn't what it said on paper. These people were very good at covering their tracks.

Despite their covertness, it wasn't hard to know what they wanted the information for based on their requests. Exposure to extreme environmental changes, time frames for recovery from all types of injures – even some used in interrogation methods, strength tests, endurance tests, and intelligence tests. They were trying to create the perfect soldier and this mutant's DNA, which was a cross of human and salamander, would advance that project by leaps and bounds. She was the key to establishing regenerative abilities in humans. And the applications for such a discovery were innumerable.

Without her here, he'd had to depend more on the eggs and the clones. But the accelerated growth hormone they used to speed along the body's maturation had caused unexpected changes in the "children," the survivors in any case. Most didn't make it past five weeks in the tubes, despite the fact they were using her own eggs to strengthen them. There was something that was preventing their development. The eldest and only viable clone so far was highly aggressive. They took a risk every time they brought her out of sedation. The last time she'd stabbed one of the staff in the leg.

A small smile crossed his face as he stood and walked down the hall to the "nursery." Her survival instincts were something to be admired. He gazed at the clone through the glass where she floated in stasis. The six-month-old appeared more like a six-year-old. It had been strange watching her grow inside this surrogate womb. In a way he hated to use her for samples. But he was a scientist, he dealt in facts not emotions. She was property that was all.

"Bring her out. Put her in Holding Room Two."

The young nurse looked skeptical. "Are you sure, Doctor? You know what happened last time."

"I do. But I can't evaluate her abilities with her in there. I need untainted results."

The nurse continued to frown, but nodded. "Yes, Doctor."

"Let me know when she's awake. We need to finish our testing with or without the original."

* * *

Mona frowned down at her clothes. They felt odd and bulky. That probably had something to do with the fact she hadn't been able to wear any in years. Now she was wearing a pale blue floor length dress. It was the best they could do to hide her tail. She pulled the pink sweater Katherine had given her back on over it. Her expression didn't change. Raph's hand landed on her shoulder and she sighed. "Maybe this isn't such a good idea."

He stepped around in front of her. "I'm gonna be right here the whole time. Let's give it a try. If ya start feelin' uncomfortable, we can come home at any time."

She gave a small nod. "Okay."

He let out a deep sigh as he pulled her to him. He knew she was scared. Her pulse was racing and she was trembling slightly. But he couldn't let her live the rest of her life down here in the dark. He wasn't going to let her spirit die out like that. He nuzzled near her ear. "You can do this, Angel. I know ya can." Mona shivered from the warmth of his breath on her skin and her grip tightened on him.

"Is everyone ready?" Leo looked around the room, then more specifically in Raph and Mona's direction. His brother gave a small nod. "Okay, let's get going then."

Raph picked up the cloak and pulled it around her shoulders to clasp it in front. When he pulled the hood up, he smirked. "Too bad we gotta hide ya."

A smile finally broke out across her face. She picked up his hat and put it on him. "I know the feeling."

Raph grinned. "Come on. You're gonna love Vinney's! Best pizza on the lower east side!"

"It's been a long time since I sat in a restaurant. It had been a while even before I was captured. After my mutation, I guess I was a little scared of being seen in public." They hurried to catch up with the others.

The rather large group moved along the tunnels with relative ease. Mikey glanced around at the three couples. "Man, do I feel like a third-wheel."

Leo chuckled. "Kinda odd, considering you were always the one with girlfriends."

Mikey rolled his eyes. "There weren't that many."

"What about Kala and Buffy and-." Leo started to tease.

"And Irma." Don interrupted with a snicker.

That earned him a dirty look from all his brothers. "Hey! That don't count! It was a love potion!" Mikey protested. "Besides, if I have to count that one, so do Leonardo and Raphael."

Samantha made a face and looked up at her spouse. "Eww, really?"

Leo shot Don a glare. "Gee, thanks Donatello."

Don continued to snicker. "Hey, you started it."

Mikey pouted, folding his arms with his bottom lip jutting out a bit. Sams pulled away from Leo to wrap her arm through one of Mikey. "Aww, that's not fair you guys."

Katherine pulled away from Don as well and slipped her arm through Mikey's other one. "Yeah, you shouldn't tease."

Both Leo and Don stared at them. A broad grin broke out across Mikey's face. He wrapped an arm around each girl. "It's totally awesome having you guys as my sisters!" Both Sams and Katherine giggled as Mikey took the lead, a girl under each arm.

Leo exchanged a look with Don behind his back. "Uh, what just happened?"

Don shook his head. "I think we just got played."

Behind them, Raph laughed and Mona giggled. He smiled down at her and squeezed her hand. The group continued to banter as they climbed out near Vinney's. Mona became a little more nervous as they entered the pizza parlor. They sat at a large corner both, but Raph and Mikey still had to pull chairs over. Luckily the place was pretty quiet. Vinney happily took their orders. The turtles always had at least a pizza a piece which was good business for him. Tonight, they ordered five. Sams, Katherine, and Mona shared one, and Mikey volunteered to eat their leftovers. They were still in the middle of their meal, when a group of rowdy teens entered. They were apparently coming from some type of high school sports event, because every once in a while, they'd chant their school's name.

Raph frowned as Mona began to fidget. He took her hand. "They're just kids."

Mona knew that in her head, but that knowledge didn't stop her desire to climb under the table every time the group gave a joyful shout. When she jumped at one point, he decided it would be best if they left. He didn't want to stress her as she was just now beginning to return to some semblance of her former self.

He stood. "I think we'll head back to the lair now." Mona immediately stood, wrapping her slender arms around his large bicep.

Leo frowned. "We could take this to go." He was still uncomfortable with the idea of them wandering around separately. His gut told him they weren't out of danger just yet, even though it was over a week since Mona's escape.

Raph waved him off. "Nah, take your time. We'll see ya at home."

Mikey frowned as well. "Ya sure, bro? I could come with."

Raph patted his shoulder. "No, you guys have fun." He led Mona from the restaurant onto the quiet street.

When they stopped in the alley beside the manhole, Mona sighed. "I'm sorry. We don't have to leave, if you don't want to."

He sighed as well, brushing her long hair from her face. "I told ya we could leave whenever ya wanted to. We have plenty of time to do stuff like this." He gave her a small smile. "We can always try again later."

She smiled as well. "Plenty of time?"

His smile grew a fraction. "Yeah, lots of it, I hope." He pressed his lips gently to hers and she leaned into him. They lingered in that trash strewn alley for a long moment, holding tightly to each other. When he finally released her, he let out another soft sigh. "Come on, let's get ya home."

* * *

Across town a screen flickered on. Tony was the first to notice it. "Hey, get the doc. That motion sensor just got tripped." He and Bill continued to watch the screen intently while Al retrieved Dr. Franks.

The two watched as seven figures walked beneath the hidden camera. Because of the dark tunnel, it was hard to tell who it was. But one thing was for certain, several of them were not human. Bill squinted at them. "What the heck are they?"

"Well, at least two of 'em are girls." Tony pointed to the two near the front with blonde and brown hair.

Dr. Franks entered. "What is it? I am rather busy."

"Take a look doc. What do ya think?" Tony rewound the image to where the group first entered the frame.

Franks moved closer to scrutinize the image. "This is from the camera you set up in the tunnel? When was this?"

"Just now." Al told him. "The sensor kicked it on just a minute before I got ya."

The man frowned. "Then get down there right now. Capture those things. And if she's with them, make sure you bring her back in one piece."

Bill shook his. "But doc there's a bunch of 'em!"

Franks glared. "Then take some guards with you. But bring her back here! Now get moving or you'll lose them!"

"Yes, sir." Tony ushered the two others out the door. "Bill, grab us some dart guns and some restraint collars." Only a few minutes later the three men and four guards were moving along the sewer tunnel. He paused to examine the prints in the mud. "Doesn't look like they've come back this way yet." He positioned two men up the tunnel closer to the manhole and two a little farther down the tunnel. He, Bill, and Al took places at an intersection near the place the group had been spotted. Now, they just had to wait for their prey to return.

They didn't have to wait too long.

Mona climbed down the ladder first and waited while Raph replaced the cover. "You're sure you don't mind leaving?" She asked when he joined her.

"Yes." He said with a touch of annoyance. "It's not like I've never been to Vinney's before. So, stop worrin' about it." He wrapped an arm around her as they began to walk home. "How are ya likin' your meditation sessions with Splinter?"

Mona smiled a little, wrapping her arm around him as well. "I think they're helping. I don't remember having any nightmares last night anyway. Of course, it helps when you have good memories to replace the bad ones."

Raph smiled too. "Well, we'll just have to keep makin' 'em then." He suddenly stopped. Something felt off. He glanced around them, but saw nothing out of the ordinary.

Mona's grip tightened on him. She'd felt him tense and it instantly set alarm bells off in her head. "What is it?" Her voice was no more than a whisper.

"Stay close." He told her softly. He started to move again, but with far more caution. If he'd had hair on the back of his neck, it would have been standing on end the closer he got to an intersection ahead.

"Hold it right there." Three figures stepped out of the darkness brandishing dart-rifles.

Mona gasped and ducked behind Raph. He growled. "I suggest ya move it, fellas, before things get messy." He pulled his sai from beneath his coat.

The largest of the three men chuckled. "What are ya gonna do with those little fork things?" He leveled the dart-rifle at him. "You're gonna come with us - the both of ya."

Raphael's growl increased in volume. "The hell we will! You ain't ever gonna put your hands on 'er again!"

"You don't got a choice, freak." Bill took a few steps forward and Raph shifted his stance, readying for the fight to come. Behind him, Mona gasped.

The turtle chanced a quick glance over his shoulder. Two more men were coming up behind them. He turned, trying to keep all five in his line of sight. But they were surrounded as two more men appeared with dart-guns. "Back off! Or I'll get serious!" Mona whimpered, clutching at the back of his trench coat. The sound only made the protective fire in his gut blaze to life. He sprang forward, charging the biggest guy first. Several guns went off at the same time. Raph spun his sai blocking the darts aimed at him.

Tony locked his gaze with the turtle's and smirked. "The doc's gonna like you. You're a lot more fun than her."

Raph snarled as he swiped at the man, who used his gun to block the blow. "You stay away from 'er!"

When Raph moved away from Mona, her own instincts kicked in. She sprang into the air, leaping over Bill and two of the men. "Not this time!" The dart struck her square in the thigh and she fell hard to the ground.

Raph turned at the commotion and saw her fall to the tunnel floor. "No! Mona!" Like a force of nature, he tore his way through the men surrounding her. "Get away from 'er!" The men stumbled away from the enraged turtle with slash marks in various places on their bodies. Tony snatched Al's gun from him, his own damaged by the sai, and fired just as Raphael reached her. The prick of the dart pierced his right arm. Almost instantly his vision became blurry, but he didn't go down. He was nearly twice Mona's weight and the dosage had been made for her. He gathered her into his arms with the intention of making a run for it. But as he staggered to his feet, he was struck a second time in the shoulder.

He fell back to his knees, body trembling with the effort to stay alert. Tony appeared in his line of vision, a wicked smirk in place. Raph could do little more than glare back. The man pulled the trigger and Raph fell forward, clutching Mona to his chest with desperate strength. Al grinned. "Man, this one has gotta be worth a ton more than her."

"Yeah, maybe we'll finally get them bonuses the doc keeps talkin' about." Bill stepped around the two mutants on the ground.

Tony shoved Raph's limp form off Mona. Kneeling down he took the girl's chin in his hand. "I hope ya enjoyed your little taste of freedom, 'cause it's the last time you're gonna get any. When ya wake up, I'm gonna make sure ya never run again."

* * *

A/N: Raph, you should have stayed with the group!

Review please!


	6. Bad Vibes

A/N: I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long. ;)

* * *

Leo stared at the door of the pizza parlor. He didn't like Raph and Mona going off by themselves. They'd only been gone a few minutes and he was already regretting letting the couple leave without the rest of them. "I don't like it." Sams' voice broke into his thoughts. He glanced down at her to see her looking at the door as well.

He met her blue eyes. "Neither do I. Let's go guys. Maybe we can catch up with them."

"Let me at least get a to-go box, bro." Mikey shoved another slice of pizza into his mouth. "We can't let such good grub go to waste."

He frowned. "Michelangelo, we really need to hurry. I've got a bad feeling."

"Chill dude, it'll only take a second." Mikey retrieved a box and filled it with what was left of the five pizzas, which was only about six slices. He closed the box and hurried to meet up with the others, who were waiting near the door.

"You know, you could be overreacting." Don told Leo. "We've checked the tunnels nearly a dozen times and we haven't seen any kind of suspicious activity."

Leo pulled the manhole cover off. "Maybe, but it's better to be safe than sorry." He climbed down quickly, followed shortly by the others. Raph and Mona had about a ten-minute lead on them. They would reach the lair long before them. Leo's pace didn't slow as they started for home.

"Ow!" Mikey wailed only a few minutes into the walk.

"Are you alright?" Don asked moving to his side.

Mikey picked up his foot and frowned at the bottom. "I stepped on something."

Donnie frowned. The floor of the tunnel had a thick layer of sludge on it. Squatting down, he examined the area. He needed to know what it was in case it caused an infection. In the sludge was something white. He dug it out and held it up into the light. He gasped. "A tranquilizing dart! And it's empty!"

Leo yanked out his turtle-com. "Come on, Raphael, answer!" The device beeped, but there was no response on the other end. "Come on!" Leo growled at the blank screen.

"Let me see!" Don snatched it from his hand and frowned at it. "It's working just fine."

"Then why isn't our bro answering!" Mikey protested.

Handing the com back to Leo, Don turned the dart over in his hand. The answer was printed on the back in bold letters. "Because IPRC has them."

* * *

"Well, you three finally did something right." Dr. Franks stood looking at his new prize. The turtle dangled between the four guards.

"Where do ya want 'im? There ain't any cages big enough for 'im, except hers. Unless you wanna put 'im in a holdin' room." Tony gestured at Mona, draped over Bill's shoulder.

"No, the larger one is…occupied and the others will be in use. Just put them together for now. But before that, make sure they take the appropriate samples from him." Franks felt a touch of exhilaration at the prospect of a new subject, especially one as fit as this one. He could probably take three or four times the punishment she did.

"Yeah, he probably ain't gonna be very cooperative when he wakes up." Bill rubbed a long cut on his arm.

"Then make sure you keep those collars on them." Franks turned to head back down the hall. "I have other matters to attend to." He left his henchmen to deal with the mutants and returned to the lab where he'd been earlier. "How is it doing?"

The doctor's assistant, Reed, shoved his large glasses up his nose. "Still throwing a tantrum."

The two men observed the small lizard girl throw the wooden blocks at the one-way mirror. Behind her the little table and chair were toppled over. Franks frowned and tapped his chin in thought. "Hmm, perhaps the puzzle was too easy for her?"

"Or too hard." Reed clipped.

The girl's dark brown eyes glared at them through the mirror, almost as if she could see them. "No, she's much too intelligent for that."

"With all due respect Dr. Franks, that thing still has the mind of an infant. Her body may be older, but her mind hasn't developed."

"I believe you're underestimating her." Franks sat at a control board with dozens of switches. "Let's try using some motivation." He spoke into the microphone in front of him. "Number one-twenty-two, you will put the blocks in their corresponding places on the board."

The girl looked up at the ceiling as the doctor's voice echoed inside the room. She scowled and lunged at the mirrored wall. The plexiglass jiggled but held. The child's small slender body wasn't strong enough or heavy enough to do any damage. Her fingers and toes suctioned onto the pane and she hung there growling. Franks sighed and pressed a button on the board. The collar she was wearing lit up and she shrieked, falling back to the floor.

"Put the blocks in the board." He repeated into the mike. The girl clawed at the collar, tears pooling in the corners of her eyes.

"She doesn't understand you." Reed droned. He believed this was a complete waste of time. Whatever military applications the creature may have, the original specimen had already displayed.

Franks turned on a projector inside the room that gave a visual description of what he wanted the child to do. The computer animation depicted a block being put in a matching slot on a wooden board. The little lizard eyed the pictures, but didn't move. He flashed an image of a candy bar on the wall and repeated his command.

Angry dark brown eyes flicked in his direction. He waited patiently as she picked up one of the colored blocks and turned to look at the wooden board lying on the floor just a few feet away. Just for an instant he believed she might actually comply. That is until she spun and chunked the block back at the mirror. Frowning, Franks pressed the button for the collar again. As she let out another shriek of pain and fear, he sat back in his chair with a heavy sigh.

"She knows exactly what I want. She's just being defiant."

Reed shook his head. "Doctor, let me remind you, that thing is not a human being it's an animal. And more than that, it is simply a collection of cells that was grown in a test tube."

"Sometimes I envy your purely objective point of view, Reed. But even a failed experiment produces results. Despite the fact that she will not comply with my commands, she has proven the ability to make a conscious choice. That means she can be taught."

"If you say so, doctor." Reed looked at the girl kneeling on the ground with a deep frown on her face and little tears trickling down her green cheeks. "Should I continue the experiment?"

Franks looked down at his watch. "No, sedate her and put her back in the holding room. When you're done, join me in lab one."

"Yes, sir." Reed moved to fill the small room with gas as the doctor left.

* * *

Raph woke to a throbbing headache. He pressed the heel of his hand to his brow for a moment trying to think straight. Suddenly, the memories came flooding back and his eyes shot open. He immediately searched his surroundings for Mona. Relief washed over him as he found her lying next to him on the cold cement floor. "Mona!" He lifted her gently into his arms and stroked her cheek. "Angel, can ya hear me?"

Slowly her eyes opened. "Raphael?" Relief followed quickly by fear flushed her features. Her hand went to her neck. "Oh, no…"

He frowned. "Yeah, they got us. But I ain't gonna let 'em hurt ya. I promise."

She sat up, averting her gaze. "You won't have a choice." Her voice was barely over a whisper. Tears welled in her eyes and she buried her face in her hands. "I'm sorry I dragged you into this!"

Raph frowned and pried her hands from her face. "You didn't drag me into nothin'. I told you I wasn't gonna leave ya no matter what. Besides, things ain't gonna be like last time. I'm here. And don't forget my brothers are out there. They'll be comin' for us and we need to be ready."

Mona gave a small nod and wrapped her arms around him. He sighed, pulling her closer. "Raphael, I…" She took a deep breath. "I love you. I…I just wanted to tell you in case…"

His arms tightened around her. "I know. I love ya too. And I'm gonna take care of ya. Okay?" She gave another small nod against his chest. For a while they sat quietly as Raph examined their cell. The cage doors had to have some type of electronic release, because there was no visible lock. The bars were spaced too close together for even Mona to get through them. The cell itself was not more than ten feet in length and five in width. A ratty old blanket lay in one corner on some straw.

He looked down at the girl in his arms. "Is this where they've kept ya all this time?" Her response was another nod. He couldn't help but think how terrible her life must have been for the last eight years. He frowned deeply, wishing he could take it all away. He stroked a hand through her hair, trying to keep her calm. His fingers brushed the metal collar and he lifted them to touch the cold ring around his own neck. "What are these things?"

"Shock collars." She stated flatly. "We can't escape with them on. If we get too far away from the main base, it'll shock us. I learned that the hard way." She looked around the room to make sure they were alone. "Those three men from the tunnel, they have controllers. They can trigger it too." She sighed. "And they don't really need a reason to."

Raph could hear the despair creeping into her voice. "I'm sorry." He squeezed her. "You've been through so much. I can't even begin to imagine. You're wrong though, ya know. You have to be stronger than me to have lived through this." He pushed her back so he could look her in the eyes. "I just need ya to be strong for me for a little longer. Can ya do that?"

She took in a deep shuddering breath. "I can try."

He smiled just a little. "Good enough." Brushing away her tears, he kissed her warmly.

"Eww, that's gross." Al made a face of disgust at them.

"Fittin', if you ask me. They're both freaks." Tony muttered.

Raph growled. "Who ya callin' a freak, fathead? From where I'm sittin' the freak show's out there."

Al opened his mouth to spout off, but Bill cut him off. "Don't bother. The doc's gonna take care of them two."

Tony sat in a rolling chair near several monitors. "Way I hear, the doc's got himself a new pet." He shot the couple in the cage a sneer. "He may not even need ya anymore."

Mona gasped. "What! Who!"

Al smirked. "Oh, ya gonna talk to us, huh?" He strolled forward to stand just outside the bars. "Are ya gonna start beggin' like you usually do?" He raised his voice several octaves in a mocking tone. "Please don't hurt me. Please let me go. Please feed me. Please-."

Raphael sprang to his feet with a snarl and caught the man around the neck through the bars. "Why I oughtta-!" He was cut off by the excruciating pulse of electricity than raced through his body. "Ahh!" He lost his grip on the man as he fell to his knees. He was forced further to the ground as the jolt of electricity continued.

"Raphael!" Mona cried. "Please, stop!" She begged their jailors. The three men laughed and she rushed to his side as the shockwave finally subsided. She cupped his face with worry. "Are you alright?"

Tony approached the bars. "Let that be a lesson, turtle. Behave or suffer." He eyed Mona. "Just ask your little girlfriend there what happens when you step out of line around here." He just laughed when Raph pushed himself off the floor enough to glare at him.

Once the three men went back to the desk and started talking, Mona helped Raph sit up. "It's best just not to talk to them. They just want to provoke you."

Raph lifted a hand to his neck with a deep frown. He could feel the skin beneath the collar had been scorched. "Yeah, alright." He said softly. He shot the three men another dark look before getting back to his feet. He took Mona to the back of the cell, as far as he could get from the bars. Wrapping both arms around her protectively, he kept his eyes locked on the men.

A little while later, a balding older man in a lab coat entered. Mona began to tremble in Raph's arms as the man approached them. "Ah, awake, good. We can't very well perform any tests with you out cold." He turned to the men. "Were the samples taken?"

"Yeah, doc. We made sure. Baker's got 'em." Tony told him.

Dr. Franks rubbed his hands together. "Good, good! You boys may get that bonus yet!" He turned back to the cage. "Now, let's take a look at our new guest."

Raph's arm tightened around Mona and he scowled at the man. "Guest? Let me tell ya, bub, your hospitality sucks."

Franks lifted a brow. "My, my aren't we clever." He eyed Mona and raised the other brow. "And rather attached I see. Fascinating. Have you two consummated your relationship?"

Anger rose in Raph like a fire breathing dragon. He growled fiercely. "Who the hell do you think you are! That ain't none of your business!"

Franks frowned and sighed. "More hostility. I have had quite enough of that for one day. I think we'll just have to keep you for later." He turned to the three men again. "Bring her to lab three instead."

Raphael came to his feet. "You ain't gonna touch 'er!"

"As much as I find your mating to be interesting, I will not let it interfere with our work." He looked at Tony. "Do what you have to, to retrieve her. Just don't kill it. I have plans for him." With that the man left.

Raph spread his feet and bared his teeth as the men approached the cage. He was going to do everything possible to keep them from taking her. He didn't care what they did to him. They were _not_ going to hurt her again! "You ain't takin' 'er anywhere!"

"Strong talk for someone about to get fried again." Tony lifted the little remote for the collars.

"What? Too scared to face me without your little toy?" Raph clipped.

Tony scowled. "Hold this for me, Bill." He handed him the remote and hit the release for the door. "This is gonna be fun." He stepped through and pulled the door shut behind him. He shot the other prisoner a look. It was unlikely she'd interfere, but… "If she gets in the way, zap 'er." He told his buddies.

Mona was on her feet behind Raph. She laid a hand on his shoulder. "Raphael, please don't do this."

He placed a hand over hers, but his eyes stayed keyed on the large man. "Try to stay out of the way, okay?"

She frowned. "Okay." Moving to a far corner, she tried to keep herself as much out of the way as possible in the confined space.

Tony cracked his knuckles. "Let's dance, green-boy." He swung a meaty fist at Raph's head. The turtle sidestepped him and brought his elbow around to connect with the man's back. Tony stumbled a half step, but that was all. He spun back, slamming Raph into the bars. Raph kicked out and Tony fell hard against the back wall. He straightened and the two circled each other. Again, Tony swung. This time Raph blocked it with his left and slammed his right into the guy's jaw. Tony stepped back, wiping blood from his mouth. "Lucky shot. Ya won't get another!"

Tony charged Raph, body slamming him into the bars at one end of the cell – the same end Mona was at. She ducked, staring up at them with wide fear filled eyes. But at the moment that fear wasn't for herself but Raphael. The turtle fired off several jabs to the man's midsection. Tony stumbled again and Raph wasn't going to let him recover this time. He nailed him with hard a right cross and Tony went down.

Raph snorted. "You guys are pathetic. Even bare handed and still hungover from that tranq I can kick your butts!" Raph suddenly jerked as his shock collar went off. He grabbed at it, trying to pull it loose. A little more prepare for the searing pain this time he stayed on his feet, consciously keeping himself between the big man and Mona. "See! Pathetic!" His muscles were starting to lock up from the prolonged shockwave. Tony's fist met the side of his head and Raph fell to the side. He tried to catch himself on the wall, but missed. Instead, he hit the ground hard. As he lifted his head, Tony's boot connected with his side. He hissed in pain.

"Stop!" Mona was right beside him now, her hands hovering just over his electrified shell. "You're killing him!" Finally, the pulse ceased. Raph lay panting and coughing on the floor. Mona's fingers were cool when they touched his burning flesh. "Raphael! Raphael!"

"You're coming with me, girl!" Tony yanked her off the floor.

"No!" Raph growled, trying to push himself up on trembling arms. "Leave 'er alone!"

Tony thrust Mona threw the door into Bill's waiting hands and turned to deliver another kick in Raph's side. "Now, who's pathetic, turtle?"

Raph was still trying to struggle to his feet when the cell door was slammed shut. He clutched at the bars his heart screaming in his ears as he watched them drag her from the room. "Mona Lisa! No!"

* * *

A/N: Review please!


	7. Almost

A/N: You guys are super awesome! Now, on with the show!

* * *

"I had hoped to have a little more time to flush out the details of this plan before we put it into action." Leo led the way down the sewer passage. "And I'd planned on Raphael being with us."

"We've worked with far less." Don reminded him. "And with Katherine helping with their security system, things should go a bit smoother."

"You think our bro is okay?" Mikey was worried what these people could be doing to him, considering all they'd done to Mona.

"It's not Raphael that I'm worried about. It's Mona. This could undo all the things we've done to help her recover from her captivity." Leo felt guilt wash over him once more. _I should never have let them leave by themselves!_

"At least, this time Raphael is with her." Mikey thought perhaps with his brother there, she might be alright.

"That's _if _they haven't separated them." Don pointed out.

They were nearing the subbasement of the IPRC. The three stopped and Leo opened his com. "Are you ready, April?"

"I'm pulling up now. Good luck guys." April replied from the other end.

"Thanks, and you too."

Leo closed his com as Don opened his. "Katherine?"

"I'm in. Just let me know when you're ready." Her tone softened. "And please be careful."

"We will. I'll keep the line open." Don glanced at Leo and the leader gave a nod. "Let's go. Deactivate the subbasement cameras." When the light went out on the camera over the subbasement's entrance, the three dashed past it and two more, then into a stairwell. "Based on the schematics for this place, I believe the main labs are centrally located on three floors – ten, eleven and twelve."

"Will that be where they'd keep their test-subjects too?" Leo hated to think of his brother being used as one of those "test-subjects."

"As vital as Mona is for their research, they would keep her close by. Raphael too." Don remembered seeing several smaller rooms beside the larger ones. Those were likely the ones being used to keep their experiments in. "But that could still be on any one of those three floors."

"Alright, let's go." Leo led the way up the stairwell to the tenth floor. He tested the knob. It was locked.

Don looked at the number over the door. "Katherine, unlock door 10-D-14 and deactivate the tenth-floor cameras." The lock immediately clicked open.

Leo eased the door ajar a crack and glanced down the hall. There was no one out there at the moment. The three moved silently onto the floor. "Split up. Meet back here in five."

* * *

Raph clutched at his spinning head. _I failed 'er – again! I couldn't protect 'er! They're gonna hurt 'er – again! I gotta get outta here! I gotta get to 'er! _But it hurt to breath, hurt even more to move. _That don't matter! I promised 'er! I promised to keep 'er safe!_ He pulled himself up with the bars, caramel eyes fixed on the door they'd taken her through. "I'm comin', Angel. Don't give up on me yet."

His gaze fell on the panel with the door release. It was several feet away on a console. He looked around the bleak cell. There wasn't anything in it heavy enough to throw at the button. He turned and grabbed the bars, trying to physically pry them apart. They didn't budge. Frustration and anger were building inside him. Growling, he slammed a fist into them. "I gotta get outta here!" If he had anything at all, he might be able to pry the doors open. There had to be something!

He scanned the area beyond the bars again. The rolling chair Tony had been sitting in earlier wasn't too far away. If he could somehow lasso it, he could use it to get free. Taking off his mask, he made a loop out of it, then pulled off his belt and tied it to the end. Looking at his makeshift rope, he frowned. It didn't look long enough. _I'll make it work_. He stretched his arm as far as he could through the bars and tried to catch the arm of the chair with the loop. He grimaced. The movement made his side hurt. After three more tries, he had to stop and take in several deep breaths. His head was throbbing and buzzing from the shock collar and remains of the drug in his system. He clutched the bars with white knuckles for a moment. Guilt filled his heart again. Here he was wasting time trying to lasso a chair, when they could be doing unspeakable things to Mona!

_No! I won't let it happen!_ Determination burned through his system. Stretching his arm out the bars again, he tried to focus past the distractions his body was giving and made another toss. This time his mask hit the arm, but didn't catch it. Eyes narrowed, he tossed again. Bingo! The strip of red slipped over the arm. He quickly pulled the chair over to him. Now that he had it, how was he going to use it?

He turned it on its side and pulled the wheels towards him. They would be heavy enough to trigger the button that unlocked the cell. It took some work and far too much time, as far as he was concerned, to get one wheel off without any kind of tool. There were three more on the chair, but he did not want to spend the time getting them off. Anyone could walk in on him at any time. And Mona needed him now. He was going to have to make the one count.

Begging the universe and every ounce of skill he had to hit the mark, he let it fly. For a split-second he thought he'd missed as the wheel hit the back of the console. But then, it bounced back to land right on the release. The lock clicked and he flung the door open. A quick glance around the room and he spotted his sai sitting on the table next to the monitors. Tying his belt back on, he tucked them in. Just as he was replacing his mask, the main door opened.

Bill and Al stood gawking at him for a moment. Bill recovered first. "How'd you get out!"

"Escape artist never reveal their secrets and neither do ninjas." Raph snarked.

The door whooshed closed behind the two men as they stepped fully inside. "Don't matter. You're goin' right back in there." Al circled towards Raph's left.

"Just try me!" Raph gasped as the collar went off.

Bill chuckled with his remote in hand. "Ya was sayin'?"

Growling, Raph lunged at him. Bill was a bit surprised and attempted a sidestep that was a beat too late. Raph caught him and slammed him into the floor. The remote slipped from the man's hand and the collar's pulse subsided. It was a good thing too as Raphael's muscles had started to seize up again. Now, he delivered an infuriated blow that sent Bill into darkness. Spotting the remote, he jabbed his sai through it. The device sent out little sparks before hissing and dying.

Suddenly, the collar burned again. "Get off him, weirdo!" Al shouted at the turtle, where he still squatted beside Bill's unmoving form.

Raph's eyes narrowed, his breathing heavy from fighting the restraint collar. The metal of his sai seared his palm as he gripped it tighter. His vision was beginning to blur again. He had to end this fast. Taking a deep breath, he let his weapon fly through the air. It struck Al's hand and the remote went soaring across the room. The ninja forced himself to his feet as the shockwave ended. The man clutched at his hand where a long deep cut was along his palm. He looked up in time to meet the business end of Raph's foot as it nailed him in the jaw. Al hit the wall behind him and slid down, disoriented.

Raphael yanked him off the floor by his shirt front. "Where is she! Where'd ya take 'er!" When Al didn't answer right away, he slammed him against the wall. "Where!"

"To lab three." Al mumbled.

Raph was getting impatient. "And where's lab three!" When the guy didn't answer right away, he shook him hard. Al's head hit the wall behind him and he went out. Raph growled. "Damn it!" Now, he'd have to find her on his own. Tossing the two goons into the cell and locking it, he found the other remote and smashed it to bits. Then, he took a moment to look at the security monitors, hoping they'd give him some clue where she was. Each screen had four pictures on it, but they all looked the same – just images of empty corridors. He frowned at one of the monitors that was black.

Frustration bubbled up in him again. He was going to have to do this the hard way. Without further hesitation, he turned and sprinted into the hallway. It was empty, but he could hear male voices getting closer. Spotting a janitor's closet, he rushed inside.

"The doc seems to think she's intelligent."

"That thing's not intelligent. It's just following its instincts."

"I don't know. She does seem to have her own mind about things."

One man snorted. "Yeah, that's why she stabbed nurse Cherelle in the leg."

"Do you think he can really teach it anything?"

"Depends on if it survives all the doc's tests."

The voices faded away and Raph slipped back into the hallway. The two men were probably talking about Mona and so he decided to back track them. He paused to listen at each door for sounds of life inside. He ducked away as a door opened a few feet ahead of him. A man and a woman came out.

"Did you feed it?" The man asked, scribbling on a clipboard.

"No, Dr. Franks said not to. Apparently, she was throwing a tantrum earlier." The woman walked beside him as they turned the opposite way up the hall from Raph.

The man chuckled. "Must have been one heck of a tantrum."

Raph waited until they were gone and crept up to the door they'd came out of. It was labeled _Holding Room 2_. He listened intently, but didn't hear anything. Slowly he opened the door and peered inside. There was a small room with a desk in it and one solid metal door. Moving inside, he pressed his ear to the door. There was soft crying on the other side. "Mona! Mona, are you in there?" The sound ceased, but no one spoke. He frowned. Maybe she couldn't say anything. Maybe they'd gagged her or something. He stepped back to look at the door. There was a panel to the right that had two buttons on it. One was lit up red. He pressed the other and it glowed green.

* * *

Mona struggled in Al and Bill's hands. She was worried about Raph. Was he okay after being hit with that much voltage? Tony pressed his remote and a small shock went through her, bringing her attention back to the problem at hand. Lab three was the worst of them. All she could ever remember of the place was pain and loss. It was where they did "procedures" on her. The last time they'd taken her there, she'd woken up with an arm missing. It had grown back, but it was a painful process.

"Please, let me stay with Raphael! He could be hurt!" She blinked her big brown eyes up at Bill. He was most vulnerable to the tactic. He was the one that usually put a stop to the punishments she received. This time it didn't seem to work though. He ignored her, yanking her forward.

When they finally reached the lab, Tony stopped outside the door to glare down at her. "When the doc's done with ya, I'm gonna make sure you pay for runnin' off." Mona felt a cold ball form in her gut at his words. He meant it; she knew that for certain. It was the _how_ he intended to do it that worried her. Tony snatched her wrist and shoved her into the small chamber they used to prep her for their experiments. "You two go back and keep an eye on that turtle. I can handle our little runaway." She heard him say as the metal door closed and locked.

Mona pressed herself against one of the walls and curled into a tight ball. She knew it was pointless, but it made her feel better. As expected, a vent opened in the ceiling and gas began to fill the tiny room. She tried desperately to fight the sedation. What would they do to her beyond that door? Would she even survive it this time?

_If I hadn't have gotten scared of those kids, we never would have left early - we never would have been caught. This is all my fault._ Tears trailed down her green cheeks. _I'm so sorry, Raphael. I did this to you._

Another minute passed and the adjoining door opened. Dr. Franks frowned down at her. "You caused a great deal of trouble, my little lizard. You've become a bit of a liability. And as much as I'd like to keep you for further research, my superiors don't believe you're worth the bother." He squatted down beside Mona's limp form and brushed a hand through her brown hair. "Such a shame too, we could've had many more years together. It'll be a terrible loss for me. But I'll have all your little ones to use in the future." He stood up and turned to the two assistants. "Prep her for surgery. We can at least take what we can from her before euthanizing her."

The two men nodded, lifting her slender body onto a gurney. They strapped her down, just in case the sedative wore off too soon. Then, they moved her into the operating room. It had already been arranged with different containers that would be used for her organs. One large stasis tube had been filled with formaldehyde to preserve her remains.

* * *

The three turtles met back up near the stairwell. "Did you guys find anything?" Leo asked.

Don frowned. "Nothing."

Mikey shook his head. "Nada."

"Me neither. Let's search the next floor." Leo led the way up to the eleventh.

Don spoke to Katherine. "Open 11-A-5." When the lock didn't immediately click, he frowned. So far, she'd had no trouble unlocking doors for them. After another moment, he became concerned. "Katherine?"

"The security must be higher on this floor. The door's codes are triple encrypted. Give me just another second." Another moment later, the lock released. Leo slowly moved forward. There was more activity on this level. People could be heard milling around in both directions.

"Should we split up again?" Don scanned the hall.

Leo frowned. "Too risky, we'd better stick together."

Suddenly an alarm wailed. "Someone tripped an alarm in one of the rooms on your floor." Katherine told them.

"Which one?" Don asked, trying to hear her over the noise.

"To your right, four doors down, on the right side of the hall. Blueprints say it's _Holding Room 4_."

"It's got to be Raphael or Mona Lisa!" Mikey turned and started up the hall. If it was one of them, they might need help.

"Can you shut it off?" Leo raced behind Mikey with Don.

Katherine gave a small growl over the line. "I'm trying, but every time it resets itself."

Don glanced at Leo. "There may be some type of manual shut off or biometric reader. If there is, we won't be able to shut it off remotely."

"Then we'll just have to deal with it. We're not leaving without Raphael or Mona." They'd reached holding room four and Leo followed Mikey inside.

A large man stood near an open cell and two other men were inside. One was just sitting up, when they entered. Tony turned towards them, a dart gun in hand. "Well, looks like we don't gotta go huntin' any more. You three made a big mistake comin' here."

"Where's our bro!" Mikey demanded.

"That's what I'd like to know." Tony raised his gun. "Looks like the coward took off."

Don smirked. "You don't know Raphael very well, if you think that."

Tony handed Bill another gun as he joined him. "Wherever he is, we'll make sure you see each other again real soon." Tony sneered as he began to fire.

"Don't let those darts hit you, guys!" Leo blocked several aimed at him.

Beside him, Don spun his bo knocking away several more. Mikey sprang clear of the onslaught, landing atop the desk. Bill turned his gun on him, but the ninja was too fast. He ducked the dart and threw his grappler at the same time. It wrapped Bill up in a tidy bundle, his weapon falling away.

Leo, meanwhile, was circling off to Tony's left. Don tried to keep the goon's attention on him. "Is that all you've got, meathead?" Tony fired off several more darts and Don easily blocked them. The man spotted Leo approaching quickly from the side. The leader diverted another projectile, then swept the gun from his hands with his katana.

Tony growled and swung at him. Leo ducked and delivered a blow to his midsection. The man barely flinched and made a grab for the turtle. Leo spun, nailing him with a roundhouse kick in the shoulder. Tony stumbled back this time, glowering at the mutant. He started to charge him, but Donnie's bo connected first with his knees then his back. The big man went to his knees and found the tip of Leo's blade right in front of his nose.

Mikey had already tossed Bill back into the cell, now Leo moved Tony to it as well. The goon scowled as the cell door locked. "You're gonna regret this!"

"Where are Raphael and Mona?" Leo demanded.

Tony snorted, folding his arms. "I ain't tellin' ya nothin'. Go find 'em yourself."

Don was already looking over the security feed, Mikey leaning over his shoulder. "Do you see 'em anywhere?"

"Raphael entered a room up the hall a few minutes ago. But there's no sign of Mona." Don replied.

Leo frowned. "Then let's get Raphael first. Hopefully he's already found Mona."

* * *

A/N: The guys better pick up the pace or they might be picking up pieces of Mona.


	8. Pawns

A/N: Hmm, can't think of anything to say... Oh, well, on we go!

* * *

April pulled the news van to a stop right outside IPRC's front door. Her job was to cause enough of a disturbance that it would keep most of the security staff busy. Plus, this was going to be a huge scandalous story. She had all the documents Donnie had sent her and enough of her own research that this place would be shut down and bankrupt by the end of the day.

As she, Irma, and Vernon climbed out, three other news vans pulled up. "What are they doing here? I thought this was supposed to be your big scoop?" Vernon whined.

It was supposed to be hers, but her anger towards IPRC was stronger than her desire to scoop the other networks. She wanted to bury this place, so she'd called in some backup. A few discrete calls and anonymous packages of incriminating documents later, she had an army of reporters. "What's the matter, Vernon? Afraid of a little competition?"

The three led the way as the media swarmed the lobby. The young receptionist looked shocked as the crowd poured into the building. She immediately called for help. Then, she threw up her hands and backed away from the desk as she was mobbed with microphones. "I don't know anything! I just answer the phone!" She scurried away like a frightened mouse.

A couple minutes later, several business men and at least a dozen guards appeared. An older man with gray hair and sharp blue eyes led the way. "What is the meaning of this?"

April shoved her mike at him. "Are you Chairman Brustal?"

The man's brow furrowed. "Yes, I'm Sly Brustal."

"Were you aware your company has been performing illegal medical experiments on people?" April watched the man pause for a moment and the knowledge he'd been caught flicker in his eyes. Then he raised both brows in a feigned expression of shock.

"I assure you our corporation would never perform experiments on people without their willing written consent."

April's eyes narrowed. She'd been ready for that response. "Then why are there records of you using someone for horrendous experiments while keeping them imprisoned?"

"That is not possible, because no such files exist." He challenged her with his eyes, trying to call her bluff.

But it was no bluff. "I have here in my hand copies of files with your company's letterhead and even some with your signature that tell a totally different story." She waved the papers in front of him and he snatched them away from her.

"Let me see those!" Brustal felt a wave of nervous fear rush over him. "These – these are obviously forged!"

"Chanel Six has already confirmed the information with outside sources." April smirked, when the man's eyes grew round.

"This is outrageous! How dare you come in here and-!" Brustal was cut off by the sound of an alarm screaming. He started to turn away, but the crowd of reporters had already smelled blood. They converged on him, trapping him and several of the guards within an onslaught of questions.

April didn't bother to press any more. Her colleagues would see to it that Brustal wouldn't walk away from this without consequences. She watched from the sidelines as the man began to sweat. He was becoming more and more panicked by the minute. The continued screech of the alarm wasn't helping matters. Finally, he shouted over the noise of the crowd. "Somebody turn off that alarm!" A moment later it subsided. But the silence only lasted a matter of minutes before a new alarm shrieked – this one a fire alarm. Now, people were pouring out of the building onto the street beyond. Vernon continued to record footage as the fire department showed up, then the police. April folded her arms and smiled to herself. There was no way these people were going to get away with their atrocities now.

* * *

As the metal door slid open an alarm wailed. Momentarily distracted, Raph gasped as the small body pounced on him. Lying flat on his shell, he stared up into startlingly familiar dark brown eyes in a round green face topped with a tuft of brown hair. The small girl growled, but paused as she took in his appearance. He wasn't like the other people that kept coming in and hurting her. Then she saw that he wore a restraint collar as well. Slowly, she backed away from him, still growling and baring her teeth.

Raph sat up just as slowly, his eyes as big as they could possibly get. "Mona Lisa?" She stared back at him blankly and he frowned. "You're not Mona, are ya? You're some kinda clone." The girl just stared back at him with suspicion. He put up his hands. "Easy. I'm not gonna hurt ya." She eyed his large green hands, then looked down at her own. "Yeah, see? We're the same. Well, sorta." He glanced up at the ceiling where the alarm was still sounding. That couldn't be good. Assuming he'd tripped it, the guards were likely on their way already. His gaze fell back to the child, who was no longer growling. The look in her eyes still reflected fear, however. He glanced towards the door. "I can't leave ya here. Ya gotta come with me." Moving slowly, he sat up on his knees and beckoned her with his hands. "Come on, you're gonna have to trust me. I won't let 'em hurt ya anymore."

Her expression softened as she watched him. Raph was careful not to make a move in her direction. All that would do was scare the poor thing and she was terrified enough. It felt like an eternity, before she moved towards him – slow but steady. Raph made sure to remain still as she got right up to him. She sniffed him, her brown eyes searching his own for signs of deception. At last, she climbed up into his lap. Raph eased his arms around her, stroking her short brown hair. "It's okay, I gotcha." Her small arms encircled his neck and he stood. "We gotta find Mona and get out of here fast."

The door came open and he spun, pulling his sai and clutching the little girl against him. Relief washed all over him. "Guys! You about gave me a heart-attack." He smiled. "But I'm glad to see ya!"

The three stared at the girl in his arms, that turned her head to peek at them over her shoulder. Mikey pointed at her. "Is that…Mona?"

"No, I think she's her clone or something." He frowned. "Ya haven't seen 'er yet?"

"No, we were hoping you had." Leo explained.

Raph shook his head. "No, I just found this kid." He rubbed the little lizard's back.

"Do you know where they took her?" Don asked.

"Yeah, they said lab three. But I don't know where that's at."

"But we do." Don lifted his com, but Katherine beat him to the punch.

"It's on the next floor. There's a small set of stairs across the hall from you."

He smiled. "Thanks, Kitten."

There was amusement in her voice when she responded. "Anytime, Gizmo." His brothers gave him a funny look and Don blushed. They started to snicker, which Don tried to ignore as he led the way across the hall and up the steps.

* * *

Dr. Franks was just preparing to open Mona up, when the alarm went off. He let out a heavy sigh and threw down his scalpel. "What now?"

One of the assistants grabbed a nearby phone and spoke with a guard. He finally turned back to Franks. "An alarm was pulled in holding room four."

Franks frowned. "That's where we have the new asset. Those buffoons had better not have let him get out. Better secure the room." He pointed at the two large men. "You two keep an eye on the entrance." The two men took up positions just inside the main door.

"Should we wait on the procedure?" One of the nurses asked.

He looked back at Mona. "No, I don't see a reason to. I'm sure security can handle it. Let's get started."

* * *

As the turtles came onto the twelfth floor, security finally merged on them. The five were quickly surrounded by a dozen guards. Their leader stepped forward. "Surrender and I'm sure we can find you all someplace comfy to stay."

Raph snorted. "Yeah, right? Like I told your boss, your hospitality sucks."

"This is your last warning. Put down your weapons and come along peacefully."

Leo glared. "We came for our family and we'll be leaving with them."

The man shrugged and pressed his remote for the collars. Both Raph and the little girl let out a cry. Raph's neck was turning black where it touched him. He used the wall to keep himself on his feet, while the girl clawed at her collar. The brothers gasped.

"Raphael!" Don moved towards him.

Mikey shot the guard a glare. "That's totally uncool, dude!"

"Stop this!" Leo shouted.

The man smirked. "You were warned."

Anger flashed in the eldest brother's eyes as he charged the man. Three men stepped into the turtle's path. Growling, Leo kicked one and punched another, then swept the legs from beneath the third man with his swords all in the matter of seconds. The head guard released the button on his remote as he and Leo clashed.

Mikey was watching Leo's back, taking out the guards with his nunchakus. Don was keeping the others away from Raphael with his bo. The ones that met the end of the staff fell to the floor. Raph sank to his knees, panting when the shockwave finally subsided. The little girl in his arms was bawling. "Raphael, are you alright?" Don laid out another man.

"I'd be a lot better without this thing on me." He frowned down at the frightened child. "Her too."

"Leonardo! Get me that remote!" Don called over the mayhem.

Leo complied, swiping it out the guard's hand with his katana. He caught it as it sailed through the air, then turned to Don. "Catch!"

The genius snatched it from the air and took a moment to examine it. The thing only had three buttons: activate, deactivate, and shock. He pressed deactivate and the two collars fell away. Don frowned at the charred flesh of his brother's neck. The tiny lizard growled at the collar and chunked it. Raph smirked, lifting a hand to probe the tender flesh around his throat. "I feel the same way, kiddo."

By now, Leo and Mikey had finished off the last of the men. Unconscious bodies littered the hallway. Leo frowned at his brother's injury. "Are you alright?"

Raph stood, the little girl still clinging to him. "Don't worry about me. We gotta get to Mona. I have a bad feelin'." Katherine was already keying in the command to unlock the lab's door. A large metal door nearby slid open and voices could be heard just beyond it. Raph looked down at the child in his arms again. "Michelangelo, would you watch 'er. I have a feelin' things are about to get messy in there."

"No problemo, bro." Mikey moved towards them, reaching out for her with a big smile. "Come here, little dudette."

The girl's grip on Raph tightened. "It's okay. He's my brother. He won't hurt ya." The girl frowned deeply at them, but eventually let Mikey take her.

"I'll keep watch out here." Mikey told them.

Raphael, Leo, and Don moved towards the open doorway. The two men guarding the door stepped out of it. "We'll take care of them. You get Mona." Leo told Raph.

The hot-headed turtle narrowed his eyes on the room past the men. Mona was in there. He could feel it in his bones. Leo and Don forced the two large assistants aside, giving him a clear path. Raph sprinted through the doorway. What he found inside made his blood run cold and then boil over. Dr. Franks was standing over Mona, a bloody scalpel in hand. The turtle let out a roar as he charged forward and flew over the gurney. Franks went down hard and Raph pounded him with blow after blow. He would have continued until either the man died or his own knuckles were split open, but a searing jolt shot through his shoulder. He rolled away, hissing in pain, to glare at the man with big glasses.

Reed brandished the taser stick. "Get back, beast!"

"I'm not goin' nowhere." Raph growled as he came to his feet. Reed was shaking as the large muscular turtle stalked towards him. He raised the weapon to strike him again, but found it being ripped from his hand. Raph hauled the man to him, until they were nose to beak. "You're gonna sew 'er up! And I mean now!"

Luckily, Franks hadn't had enough time to do more than peel back the flesh of her abdomen. It nearly made Raph sick to see her like that. He pulled his sai, fighting down the urge to plunge it into the man's chest. Instead, he pressed the tip to Reed's throat. "If you try anything funny, I'm gonna make sure my sai meets your brain!" Reed swallowed hard and nodded. Raph released him and spun him towards the gurney. "Fix 'er up and make it fast!"

Reed fumbled through the supplies to find a suture kit. With Raph literally breathing down his neck, it took two tries with his shaking hands to thread the needle. Mona let out a soft groan when he began to stitch her up. Frowning, Raph moved to the head of the gurney to stroke a hand across her brow. He hoped whatever they'd given her would keep her out for a few more minutes at least. He didn't want her waking up with her insides still showing.

Leo and Don had tied the two large assistants up and the rest of the staff had fled the room as soon as the turtles had burst in. Mikey stepped inside the room, but lingered near the door, still clutching the small girl in his arms. She was making a face at him, while he was chattering away. Leo and Don moved to stand on the other side of Mona. Leo's face was twisted with his own barely controlled anger. "How could you people do this to her!" Reed startled, dropping the needle. "She hasn't done anything to anyone! You're monsters!"

Don put a hand on his shoulder. "Let him finish, Leonardo." Leo took in a deep breath, but his death glare never changed. Still a bit unnerved, Reed was able to continue stitching her up. Don glanced over his shoulder. "We have another problem. Maybe an even bigger one."

Raph looked up. "What's that?"

"These people obviously have a lot of her DNA and…eggs. We can't leave them with it or they'll just make more clones."

Raph frowned, remembering what Franks had said about samples being taken. "They got mine now too."

Leo glowered. "Then we have to get rid of it – all of it. Where are you keeping it?" He snapped at Reed.

This time the man kept his hold on the needle as he looked up. He thought briefly about not telling these creatures anything. But the fire smoldering in the blue-banded turtle's eyes told him not to push his luck. "Lab one, it's down the hall on the left."

Leo glanced down at the incision in Mona's lower body. It was almost sealed. "Raphael, stay with Mona. Donatello, come with me. We're going to make sure they have nothing left to work with." The two stopped beside the door before leaving. "Stay with them, Michelangelo. We won't be long."

Mikey lifted an eye-ridge at the barely controlled rage in his eldest brother's voice. "Okay." He watched them leave, then moved closer to the table. The little girl's eyes narrowed and she growled at Reed, nearly jumping out of Mikey's arms. He tightened his grip a fraction. "Chill, little dudette."

Reed gasped, taking several steps back. "Keep that thing away from me!"

Raph snarled, yanking him around. "What did you just call her!"

Reed stumbled over his words; his eyes as big as saucers. "I - I meant girl."

"That's better. Now finish Mona up." He shoved him at the table again. Mona sucked in a sharp breath, drawing their attention back to her. The little lizard looked at her for the first time. Her mouth hung open in surprise. She'd never seen anyone that looked like her before. She watched Raph lean over Mona as the woman's eyes fluttered open. Pain flushed her features and he stroked her cheek. "It's okay, Angel. You'll be alright."

"I…can't…move." She mumbled.

Raph looked down at the gurney. "Help me with the straps." He and Mikey pulled them off. He leaned back over. "Is that better?"

She blinked groggily up at him. "Still…can't…move."

Raph turned to Reed, who had just tied off the incision. "What's wrong with 'er!"

"It's the anesthesia. It - she won't be able to move for at least another thirty minutes."

A touch of relief went through the turtle. He glanced down at the wound. "Tape 'er up." When the man finished bandaging her, Raph slugged him hard. The man's big glass flew across the room as he fell backwards across Dr. Franks still unmoving body. He glared down at the two men, seriously contemplating finishing them both off right then and there. The alarm shut off and the room fell into an eerie silence, save Mona's labored breathing.

Mikey watched his brother's eyes grow cold as he looked down at the two men. When he gripped the hilt of his sai, Mikey spoke up. "Shouldn't we go meet up with the others?"

Very slowly and with a great deal of effort, Raphael removed his hand from his weapon. If he'd been alone, he probably would have pulled it. Mikey, however, had managed to drag him away from that dark place in his mind. He lifted his eyes to see both the girl and his brother watching him intently. He took in a deep breath and gathered Mona into his arms. "Let's go before I change my mind."

* * *

A.N: Well, at least Raph has Mona back. Though, it's debatable if he should have let those scientist live or not.


	9. From the Ashes

A/N: Just a few more chapters to go. I certainly hope you're all enjoying this little Raph/Mona fic. :)

* * *

Leo and Don stood in the doorway of lab one staring in both astonishment and horror. Several stasis tubes lined the walls. Most were empty, but two had little globs of flesh. Don moved across the room to examine the readings on the two tubes.

"Were they trying to make more clones?" Leo frowned up at what looked like nothing more than a mass of cells.

"Yes, but…" Don's expression turned sad. "But they aren't alive. It seems they made it to a certain point, but weren't able to survive."

Leo felt a pang in his heart for the unfortunate beings within the tubes. "Let's not tell Raphael or Mona."

Don nodded solemnly. The pair had been through enough. "We need to destroy everything in this room. But there could be data held elsewhere."

The security alarm finally silenced as Leo thought that over. "Can you wipe their database from home?"

"Yes, well most of it. But there could also be hard backups."

Leo smiled a bit, knowing why the alarm had been turned off. "I think April can help make sure it's never used. Let's just get rid of all the physical stuff we can."

By the time Mikey and Raph met up with them, they had smashed everything in the room and set it on fire. Nothing would be left of it. Mikey frowned still holding the child. "What about all the people in the building?"

"We'll pull the fire alarm before we leave. And the sprinkler system should contain the fire pretty well. The only ones I disabled were in that room." Don assured him.

Hatred burned in Raph's chest. "I say let 'em burn! After what they did to Mona and that kid, they deserve it!"

Leo frowned. He understood how his brother felt, but they couldn't let that anger blind them either. "Not all the people that work here are bad, Raphael. And a lot of them may not have even known what was going on." Raph clenched and unclenched his jaw, his hold on Mona tightening. Leo could see the desire to argue brewing beneath the surface. "Let's get them home where they'll be safe." He turned and hurried up the hall before Raph could protest further. As they left the basement, he stopped to pull the fire alarm. Then, they headed home, their family whole again – plus a little extra.

They'd been walking for several minutes when Mona really became aware of what was going on. She blinked up at him. "Raphael?"

He turned his head to smile down at her. "It's okay, we're goin' home."

"You got us out?" She asked softly. She rubbed a hand across the bandage over her tender midsection. _Not soon enough, I guess._

"Yeah." He gave her a gentle squeeze.

"You did have help." Don teased from behind them.

Mona's smile was tired but very genuine. "Thank you."

"I promised not to let 'em hurt ya again." Raph's gaze shifted to her stomach. "I just wish I'd been a little faster about it."

Her slender webbed fingers wrapped around his neck and drew him down for a short but loving kiss. Somehow Raph was able to maintain his pace in spite of the wave of heat that flushed his body. The more she let him in, the more he wanted. Every stolen touch and kiss were making a primal possessiveness grow inside him. It had been such a quick and smooth transition from friendship to love that it made him wonder when exactly it had happened. Looking down at her as she closed her eyes and rested her head against his shoulder almost immediately falling back to sleep, he realized the truth. _I've loved 'er from the very first moment I laid eyes on 'er._

Beside them, the small girl watched them from Mikey's arms. She was trying to understand who they were and who she was. Her memory only pertained of brief moments of awareness – most of which were bad. Until recently they hadn't kept her conscious more than a few hours at a time. This was the longest she'd been awake since her "birth." Her gaze moved back to the orange banded turtle that carried her and then to the other two. These beings hadn't tried to hurt her and the one with red had actually tried to protect her. In his arms she'd felt a sensation that she'd never felt before – safety. She felt a small spring of jealousy – also a new emotion - pop up inside her at the woman he now carried. She wanted to feel that safety again. The orange one was nice, but he hadn't been the first person she'd really met. She wanted Raphael.

As she tried to reach out for him, Mikey shifted his hold on her. "It's okay, dudette. Raphael isn't goin' anywhere. We're all goin' home together."

She gave a small whimper and Raph glanced at her. "Sorry, kiddo, but I got my hands full right now." He looked back at Mona with a smile and kissed her brow.

"What are we gonna do with her?" Mikey asked as they neared the lair.

"I think Master Splinter had better be part of that discussion." Leo told him.

As soon as they entered Sams, Katherine, and Splinter came from the lab. The old rat smiled, placing a warm hand on Raphael's arm. "I am glad you are home, my son." His eyes drifted down to Mona. He laid a gentle hand on her brow. "And Mona Lisa as well."

Raph smiled a bit. "Thank you, Sensei."

"We were really worried about you two." Sams squeezed his shoulder, while Katherine nodded.

"We're okay – mostly. And we brought a little somethin' home with us." Raph turned to Mikey and the girl.

Katherine's eyes widened and her hands came up to cover her mouth. "Oh, my goodness! She's adorable!" Beside her, Don couldn't help the smile at her reaction.

Sams grinned. "Yes, she's so cute!"

Splinter raised a brow. "This is a strange development indeed."

"We're gonna let 'er stay with us, aren't we, Master?" Mikey'd already gotten a bit attached to the little tike.

"Yes, of course, Michelangelo." The rat took a few steps towards her. The girl's eyes narrowed and he paused.

"She's got a bit of a temper – at least accordin' to the staff." Raph smiled at her and she relaxed a little. "She's pretty skittish too."

Splinter nodded. "Why don't you put Mona Lisa to bed where she may rest." Raph nodded and left. Splinter watched the girl squirm in Mikey's arms, trying to see where Raphael had gone. Slowly, he set a hand on her small arm, nearly encompassing it. Her brown eyes jumped back to him. "It is alright, little one. What is your name?"

The girl just stared at him. Don moved up beside them. "You know, I haven't heard her talk the whole time."

"Neither have I." Mikey agreed.

"Do you think she can talk?" Leo slipped an arm around Samantha.

"I have heard her make noises. Just no words." Mikey frowned at her in concern.

Katherine had disappeared back into the lab and now reappeared with a stack of papers. Don smiled, when she handed them to him. It was nice to have someone that could so easily anticipate what he wanted or needed. "Her file?" She nodded. He took a moment to examine the information. "This is incredible and also disturbing." He looked back at the child. "This little girl is only six months old. The reason she doesn't talk is she hasn't developed speech yet."

Mikey frowned again. "Ya mean she's got the mind of a baby?"

"Yes. They gave her a special growth hormone that allowed her body to age quicker. But no matter how fast a body grows, the brain has to learn in order to grow."

"And according to that file, she's only really been conscious for a total of five days her entire life." Katherine had taken the opportunity to read over the file while the guys were on their way back.

"Well, does she have a name?" Leo asked.

Don flipped through the papers again, his brow furrowing. "No, they just called her number one-twenty-two."

The child scowled at the phrase. "I don't think she likes it, bro." Mikey observed with a small chuckle.

"Well, of course she doesn't!" Raph scoffed as he returned. "That ain't a real name." The girl lit up, stretching her arms out to him. He gave her a small smile and took her from his brother. She wrapped her arms around his neck and let out a heavy sigh as she rested her head on his shoulder. He rubbed her back warmly.

Splinter raised a brow. "Then what do you suggest we call her, Raphael?"

The turtle frowned. "I don't know. She's Mona's clone, right?"

Don shook his head. "Yes and no. She's more like her daughter. They took one of her eggs and grew it in a test tube just like they would a clone, but they tampered with the DNA. I believe it was an attempt to enhance some of her abilities. So, although she does have most of Mona's DNA markers, they're not exactly the same."

Raph's frown deepened a bit. "Do you know what they changed?"

Don looked down at the stack of papers. "I'll have to take a better look at the data to give you specifics."

"So, she's Mona and not Mona at the same time." Mikey felt like his head was spinning. He went back to the original topic of a name, which was something he did understand. "Hey, I got it!" He grinned enthusiastically. "How about Nina? It's like Mona but different, right?" The girl lifted her head to look at him at his excitement.

Splinter smiled. "Well done, Michelangelo. Nina means strong flower."

Raph glanced at the small lizard girl in his arms, contemplatively. "Nina, huh?" He smiled. "I like it. Seems fittin' to me. She's pretty spunky." He chuckled. "She tackled me, when I opened the door to that room they were keepin' 'er in." A round of soft laughter went around the room. Raph tapped her on the beak lightly. "You're Nina. Got it?" She just blinked at him.

Don sighed. "Raphael, she doesn't understand you. And it may be a while before she does."

Katherine smiled. "It doesn't hurt to start early." She stepped up next to Raph. "Hi, Nina."

The little lizard cocked her head to the side in curiosity. Suddenly she frowned, a hand rubbing her stomach. She stuck her thumb in her mouth and gave a small whimper. Raph frowned as well. "What's the matter?"

Katherine's smile grew a little. "I bet I know. You're hungry, aren't you?" Nina just blinked and gave another whimper.

Raph sighed, his gaze going off to the bedroom. "I really should stay with Mona."

"I need to look in on her as well." Don was worried about the incision and anything else they might have missed.

Splinter nodded. "I would as well."

"I'll take her and see if we can find something for her to eat." Katherine offered.

Raph wondered if she'd go to her. Nina hadn't been very willing to go to Mikey. But he needed to get back to Mona. "Go with 'er, kiddo." He encouraged with a small smile. Nina looked back and forth between them. She made a small squeak of protest when Katherine gently lifted her from Raph's arms. But she didn't struggle to Raph's great relief.

Sams smiled. "I'll help." As the two women left for the kitchen, Nina watched Raph and the others disappear into the bedroom area.

Raph stepped up into the alcove and sat on the edge of his old single bed. Mona was still sleeping. That is until Don stepped up on the other side of the bed. Her eyes opened slowly, first focusing on Raph then on Don. Raph squeezed her hand. "How ya feelin'?"

"Tired and my stomach hurts."

Don sighed. "Yeah, I need to take a look, okay?" Her hand tightened on Raph's, but she gave a small nod. Don pulled back the covers as Splinter stepped up beside him. He peeled back the tape as gently as he could, but Mona still winced. He let out a sigh. "Well, I've seen a lot better stitches from Sams. But considering it was a rush job, they should do. The good news is, I don't see any signs of infection right now. We should still keep an eye on it though."

"Perhaps a cold compress will help with the pain." Splinter suggested.

"I'll get it." Mikey hurried off to retrieve one.

"Do you remember what happened to you?" Leo asked from the foot of the bed.

"Not much after they sedated me. I mainly just remember Raphael carrying me." She gave him a small smile and he returned it.

Don nodded. "She definitely seems more lucid than earlier. The anesthesia must have finally worn off."

Raphael took a deep breath. "Mona, there's somethin' ya need to know."

"Raphael, do you think that's such a good idea right now?" Donnie was concerned that learning she had a small clone could harm her recovery.

"She's going to find out sooner or later." Leo told him.

"Find out what?" Mona looked up at Raph with fear growing in her dark eyes.

"It's not bad... It's complicated." Raph saw his reassurance had fallen short of convincing her, so he pressed on. "Mona, while they had you all these years, they took your…" He stopped, trying desperately to finish but unable.

"They took your oocytes – your eggs to clone you." Don provided.

"And they did." Raph watched as her eyes grew large. "She's not exactly like you though."

"There are definitely some differences." Leo agreed. "For one, she's just a little girl."

"A little girl?" She gasped. "That's who Tony was talking about!" Fear rushed through her again, but this time it wasn't for herself. She tried to sit up, but Raph pressed her back into the bed and shook his head. "Did they hurt her! Is she okay!"

"I think they were tryin' to experiment on 'er, but she doesn't look too bad off. We brought 'er back with us." Raph explained.

Mikey had returned with the icepack. "Yeah, she's in the kitchen gobbling down a whole box of cereal. They didn't give her a name, so we're gonna call her Nina."

"Nina." She repeated softly.

"We can tell you more details later." Don squeezed her shoulder. "Right now, you need to rest." He looked up at Raph, telling him silently to make her stay in bed.

Raph nodded and the others left. Frowning, he stroked her cheek. "I'm sorry. I should've been more careful. You had to go back to that place because of me. I let ya down. I even let them hurt ya again." His voice cracked. "If they'd done anything permanent to ya, I would have never forgiven myself."

She frowned. "Not a word of that is true. You did everything you could to protect me." She reached up to gently touch the burns on his neck. "You're the one that was hurt because of me. I'm sorry."

Raph let out a heavy sigh, but a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Okay, so we're both sorry. It doesn't matter who's to blame as long as you're safe." He kissed her softly and slipped his arms beneath her to hold her tightly. "I don't ever wanna be without ya again."

She smiled, though he couldn't see it with his face buried against her neck. Letting out a sigh of her own, she wrapped her arms around him as tight as she could. "Me neither."

* * *

A/N: Don't forget to review, if you're still having fun!


	10. Anew

A/N: Changes can be hard on everyone.

* * *

The ache in her abdomen woke Mona, but she had no desire to move. Raphael's arm was draped across her, his breath warm against the back of her neck, and his chest pressed firmly to her back. She could feel the steady thump of his heart and it nearly lulled her back to sleep. But the dull ache kept her awake. She stared at the wall of the alcove. It had become a familiar sight in the past week or so since she'd first made her escape. Old photographs of the guys were taped in a mishmash fashion on it. Weapons of various kinds hung from hooks. And on the small dresser were a stack of books filled with funny anecdotes.

A small smile touched her lips. It made sense when you thought about it. The turtles' lives were stressful and unpredictable. With Raphael's stubbornness and temper, he could take most of it in stride. But there had to be something to balance all that out - a way to escape. Laughter was his.

She slipped her hand into his and his arm tightened around her a bit. "You're supposed to be sleepin'." His lips tickled the little hairs on her neck and she couldn't suppress the giggle. He snorted and it made the sensation ten times worse. "I'm not kiddin'. Ya ain't slept nearly long enough."

"I know." She managed between muffled fits of giggles. She glanced at the clock. It was just past midnight. She'd only slept two and a half hours.

With a heavy sigh, he pushed himself up so he could look down on her. When she met his eyes, he frowned. "Your stitches botherin' ya? I could get ya a painkiller."

It was her turn to frown. "No, no medicine." She looked away. "I hate it."

"I know, but it would help ya feel better and sleep better." His frown only deepened when she didn't reply. "Okay, I'll get ya some more ice. Do you want anything to eat or drink?"

"Maybe some water. I don't think I can stomach food yet. The gas they use on me usually makes me nauseous."

"Then, do ya promise to try to sleep some more?"

She met his gaze again. "I'll try."

He nodded and placed a kiss on her brow, before unwinding himself from the covers. As he entered the living room, Leo turned towards him with an exasperated expression. "Raphael, good. Maybe you can help us with our little problem." He pointed at the ceiling.

Raph followed his gaze and his jaw dropped. "Why didn't ya come get me!"

"You needed to rest too, Raphael. You were injured as well." Don was also looking up at their little problem.

"What happened? How'd she get up there?" Raph stared at Nina sitting on the large pipe that crossed the ceiling.

"She climbed." Don said flatly. "I'm guessing it's one of her enhanced abilities."

"Yeah, she climbed the wall like she was Bugman." Mikey had already tried using his grappler to climb up there with her. But as soon as he got to the pipe, she'd climbed off it onto the ceiling itself. The group had nearly freaked out, afraid she was going to fall. She hadn't though and as soon as Mikey had climbed down, she'd moved back to the pipe. They couldn't figure out a way to get the child down without scaring her.

"Why'd she climb up there?" Raph moved to stand beneath the pipe and Nina blinked big brown eyes down at him.

Katherine blushed. "I was going to give her a bath. She doesn't look like she's ever gotten one. I mean a real one anyways. She didn't like the idea much."

"Every time we get close to her, she takes off." Sams was still fearful the girl was going to fall.

Raph shook his head. He wasn't sure what he could do. She might take off from him too. "Uh, kiddo, uh, Nina… Can ya come back down here?" He pointed at the floor. The girl's eyes snapped towards the bathroom. "Ya don't gotta take a bath, but ya do need to come down." He beckoned her with his hands. This time she looked at the others. "Come on, now. Ya can't stay up there forever." He watched as she finally moved. She hung from the pipe right above him, then let go. Raph caught her. "I didn't exactly mean do it like that."

"Well, at least she's down." Don decided he'd have to take a closer look at the girl's hands and feet when he was able.

Mikey glanced at the bedroom area. "How's Mona?"

Raph frowned. "Her stitches are hurtin' 'er. I came to get another icepack."

"We have some pain relievers." Leo pointed out.

He shook his head. "She doesn't want 'em." Sighing, he looked down at the little lizard. "As for you, ya need to stay on the floor." He set her on her feet and pointed at the ground. "Down here." She stared at him and he patted her head. When he moved off to the kitchen, she followed.

Mikey chuckled. "Looks like our bro has a shadow."

Katherine frowned, looking at the ground. "I didn't mean to frighten her."

Don hugged her. "You didn't do anything wrong, Kitten. But maybe sponge baths might be best for a while."

Raph collected a cold compress and filled a glass with water. When he turned around to head back to the bedroom, he nearly tripped over Nina. "Whoa!" She flinched at his startled voice. He sighed. "Careful, squirt." He gave her a small smile before stepping around her and making his way back to his alcove. He set the cup and pack on the side table. "You think ya could sit up?"

Mona frowned. "Yes, I think so."

Raph helped her up and sat behind her. She allowed him to support her as she took the offered drink. Taking several long drafts of the cool liquid, she closed her eyes and leaned into Raph, drawing in his scent. It soothed her body and mind more than anything else could possibly do.

Raph let out a small sigh, feeling her soft body in his arms. He wished he could do more to make her comfortable. It was his fault she'd had to endure the tortures of IPRC again. Lifting a hand to his burned and bandaged neck, he wondered if they ever healed the injuries they caused her, or if they expected her regenerative ability to take care of it. It was obvious that her accelerated healing was not instantaneous. The scars on her neck were proof of that.

She turned her head a bit to place a kiss on his cheek. "Raphael, you've been so good to me. I love you." Her voice was soft and heartfelt.

He smiled, his grip tightening on her. "I love ya too, Angel." Closing his eyes, he rested his head against hers. She let out a small gasp and his eyes popped open. Peeking over the end of the bed was a small green head with brown hair and brown eyes. He glanced at Mona, judging her reaction. It was one of both astonishment and curiosity. He motioned to the girl with his hand. "This is Nina." Mona watched in wonder as the child slowly moved around the bed.

"Hello, Nina." Mona tried to offer a smile. She wasn't sure how to feel about being cloned. But she was glad they'd rescued the girl, especially before those people did her too much harm.

Nina approached cautiously. She eyed Raph's arms wrapped around Mona. Then, she took in the older lizard woman. They looked alike, even more than the others. She looked at her hands then at Mona's. She lifted her small hand much as Raph had done when they'd first met. Smiling, Mona offered her hand as well. They both had the same webbing between their digits, but where Mona's fingers were long and slender, Nina's were thick and short. Reaching out, she took the larger hand and examined it more closely.

Raph smiled. "I think maybe she likes ya."

Nina's interest in Mona was only momentary though. It quickly turned back to Raphael. She stretched her arms out to him. He frowned. "Not right now, kiddo. I'm takin' care of Mona. I'm sure one of the others would hold ya."

Nina made a face and continued to reach out for him. This time Mona frowned. "You can go with her, if you need to. She obviously wants you."

Raph shook his head. "No way. I'm gonna stay here and keep an eye on you." He looked off towards the living room and raised his voice just a bit. "Hey, Michelangelo!"

Mikey appeared along with Leo. "What's up?"

"Can ya take 'er?"

Mikey stepped up into the alcove. "Come on, dudette."

Nina's face scrunched in frustration and a touch of anger. When Mikey reached for her, she sprang away from him. She landed on the bed, eliciting a grunt from Mona as it jarred her. Mikey moved to pick her up once more and again she jumped away from him to the other side of the alcove. He turned to Raph. "I don't think she wants to come with me, dude."

Leo watched Nina yawn. "She looks like she's getting tired. And I doubt that she'll calm down, if any of us take her. I think you're stuck with her, Raphael."

Raph frowned. "But I can't watch 'er. I gotta look after Mona."

"Maybe we could fix her up something here in your alcove, just temporarily." Don offered as he joined them.

"But-." Raph started to protest.

Mona squeezed the arm he had around her. "They're right. She looks frightened enough. Maybe being near you would help."

He sighed, accepting defeat. "Fine."

"We could lay the couch cushions on the floor beside the bed." Leo suggested.

"I'll go grab 'em." Mikey went to retrieve the large pillows.

"I'll see if I can find some spare blankets." Don headed for their storage room.

Raph eased Mona back onto the pillow and handed her the icepack as Mikey returned. They laid the pads on the floor and spread a blanket across them. Nina watched them with interest. "Come here, Nina." Raph laid her down and covered her with the other two blankets. She stared up at him, not sure what was going on. "Now go to sleep."

Katherine giggled as she came in dressed for bed. "Something tells me that is not going to work."

"We'll see." Raph climbed back in beside Mona as the rest went off to their own beds. "You go to sleep too." He wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close.

Mona smiled, even as she pressed the cold pack to her stomach. "I'll try."

For a while, the room was quiet and still. But it didn't endure as Raph felt something move onto the bed. He frowned at Nina sitting at the foot. His small bed was already too small for him and Mona. Adding a third body to the mix was impossible. There just wasn't enough room. He glanced at Mona, who for once seemed to be sleeping peacefully. Unfortunately, he knew that wouldn't last. She usually had two or three nightmares before the night was over. And tonight, could be worse.

Moving as quietly as possible, he sat up. "Ya can't sleep up here, kid. There ain't room." She frowned with big droopy eyes. Sighing, he picked her up and put her back onto the makeshift bed. "Now, stay there." Before he could even get properly settled, she'd climbed back up. Irritation was beginning to build up in him. He frowned. "No, ya gotta sleep down here." Again, he laid her on the pallet.

When he rolled back over, tears welled in the child's eyes followed shortly by a wail. Everyone in the lair jerked awake. Mona muffled a gasp, her heart racing. Beside her, Raph let out a small frustrated growl, before sitting up and staring at the crying child. "What's the problem, kid?"

Leo stepped around the corner with Sams while rubbing his eyes. "What's going on?"

Raph threw a hand in the air. "Heck if I know. She kept gettin' on the bed. I just put 'er back down there."

"Remember, she has the mind of an infant. She doesn't understand." Don told him.

Katherine appeared beside him. "Plus, she's probably never slept outside of her stasis tube before."

"My sons, what is happening here?" Splinter frowned as he approached the group.

"She just started cryin', Master." Raph had no idea what to do.

It was obvious none of his charges had a clue how to deal with the situation. Sighing, he stepped up into the alcove and picked up the small girl. She immediately wrapped her arms around his neck. He patted her back. "There, there." Nina finally quieted a bit, her wails turning into sniffles. "If Nina indeed has the mind of a babe, then it would be best to get her to sleep before putting her to bed."

Raph's face dropped. "Yes, Sensei. We'll do that from now on."

"It is alright. You may go back to bed. I will care for her until she falls asleep." Splinter turned and carried Nina out into the living room. It took some time, but he eventually got the child to sleep. As he brought her back to the little makeshift bed, he could hear very soft crying. When he reached Raphael's alcove, his son looked up at him. He didn't say anything though as he held Mona a little tighter. Splinter frowned. It was likely her recapture had undone what little they'd been able to accomplish in their meditation sessions. They would have to start over. And it was possible the trauma might have intensified. He laid Nina on the cushions and met his son's gaze before he left. There was such pain, confusion, and guilt in it. _Meditation may be best for both of them._

* * *

Don pulled back the bandage and lifted an eye-ridge. "This already looks several days old. I think we can even take the stitches out. How does it feel?"

Mona frowned a little in concentration. "Definitely better."

Don measured her strength with a critical eye. "Do you think you can move around?" She nodded, sitting up with only a small amount of difficulty. Both Raph and Don smiled. "That's good! I'll take these out and you can get up if you want." He shot Raph a look. "Make sure she eats something."

He gave a firm nod. "I will."

Don gestured at the bandage on his throat. "Let me take a look at your neck." Raph unwound the gauze protecting the damaged skin. Don frowned. It still looked pretty bad. He pulled a tube from the first aid kit and handed it to Mona. Raph was less likely to argue with her. "Put this on and wrap it again. That skin is still too raw to leave in the open air."

Raph snorted and was about to protest, but Mona smirked. "I will." Raph folded his arms with a huff.

After Donnie had removed the stitches and left, Raphael reluctantly allowed Mona to put ointment on his burns. Then, he convinced her to eat some breakfast. Splinter was already seated at the table with Nina, who was gobbling food down as fast as he could put it in front of her. Raph frowned at the child. "Thanks for helping last night, Master Splinter."

"It was no problem, my son. I understand that none of you have had dealings with infants. I, on the other hand, have. We shall all take part in her care."

Nina watched Raph settle Mona into a chair and move to dig through the fridge. She eyed Mona when Raph sat beside her and the two began to eat. Once they were done the couple settled on the couch, the little lizard following after them. As soon as he put his arm around Mona, the tot promptly climbed up and pushed herself in between them.

Raph looked down at the child in utter confusion. "What is your deal, kid?"

"She's jealous." Samantha looked up over the edge of the newspaper, where she'd been reading about the fiasco at IPRC.

Raph was even more confused. "Jealous? Of what?"

"Of Mona." Sams lowered the paper. "You're the one that found Nina and rescued her. It's obvious by the way she follows you around. She thinks she's yours, or you're hers or something like that. She hasn't figured out where Mona fits into that equation."

The couple looked down at the girl between them. Mona raised a brow. "Hmm, this could be a problem."

* * *

A/N: Just two more chapters to go!


	11. Different Needs

A/N: I'm so glad you guys have enjoyed this one so much!

* * *

Donnie frowned at Nina's file. The growth hormone they'd used to get her body to grow more rapidly was something her system couldn't produce on its own. They'd designed her to be dependent on an outside source. If it wasn't provided to her on a regular basis, she'd eventually die. He'd have to synthesize it and figure out the proper dosage to have her age normally. And based on the information he had, he needed to do this soon. She could only go a maximum of three days before withdrawal symptoms would begin to show.

He'd also compared Mona and Nina's DNA. The scientists had provided Nina with the ability to cling to surfaces like a true salamander. They'd also given her excellent night vision. It was likely she could see even in pitch blackness. There were also signs they'd given her more agility than Mona. Dr. Franks had just begun an in-depth exploration of these enhanced abilities and based on the results of the tests she was able to use the skills quite well. But he couldn't say he approved of their methods. They'd used fear as their primary motivator.

"Hey." Katherine's warm hand touched his shoulder. "I'm going to go up to the shop."

Don dragged a hand down his face. "The Jaeger contract! I completely forgot. I'll come with you."

She shook her head. "No, you're needed here right now. I'll take Sams with me. She can run the front while I finish off the project. It's almost done anyway. Besides, I have to keep up at least the appearance of a real book store." She smiled and Don chuckled.

"I suppose you have had to close up quite a bit in the past few months." He frowned a little. "I'm sorry, this is how our lives have always been – crazy."

She stepped around in front of him with an impish smile and straddled his lap. "Oh, I think I'd call it interesting. And _I _am the reason I had to close up a few months ago." Leaning into him, she kissed him warmly.

Don pulled her tight against him, a small possessive growl leaving him. He felt the tingle of electricity that was her magic spread through him in response. "Why don't Leo and I pick you two up tonight. Then we can go to the apartment."

She smiled. "That sounds like a really good idea." She stood and he squeezed her hands.

"Just be careful, okay?" It was rare these days for her to go off on her own.

"We will. Now that I have this though," she held up her pointer finger and thumb to allow the blue electricity to crackle between them, "I'm not such a pushover."

The reminder of how much she'd learned to control her new gift made him smile a bit. "True. Just don't over do it. You know it drains you."

"Gizmo, you're such a worrywart sometimes." She teased before giving him another small kiss. "I'll see you tonight. Love you."

He squeezed her hand. "Love you too, Kitten." He watched her leave, then turned back to the problem at hand, synthesizing Nina's growth hormone.

Katherine stepped into the living room to find Sams sitting with Raph, Mona, and Nina. "I have to go finish off a project at the book store, you want to come along? We might even sell a book or two this week." She told the younger girl cheekily.

Sams chuckled. "Yeah, might as well. I can't exactly call my boss and tell her I'm sick or anything." Sams replied in the same tone. She stood. "I'll let Leo know we're going." She set the paper on the coffee table as she headed off to the dojo.

Katherine stepped around to pick it up. She turned it so they could see the headline, _Prominent Corp Bankrupt After Illegal Experiments_. "Looks like IPRC is going to be put so far under, they aren't even going to be able to get a phone line when the press is done with them."

Raph snorted. "They deserve a lot worse, if ya ask me." He reached over Nina's head to stroke Mona's cheek with a frown. She gave him a tiny smile in return.

Katherine looked back up from the article. "Well, at least most of the board of directors aren't going to see daylight for a long time."

Leo appeared with Sams, worry in his caramel eyes. "Katherine, are you sure you want to go topside alone?" He glanced towards the lab. "Why isn't Donatello going with you?"

"He has things he needs to work on here." Katherine eyed Nina, before looking back at him. "We'll be fine. No one is looking for us. Oh, and we were thinking of going to the apartment tonight."

Leo sighed, but nodded. "Alright." He squeezed Sams' hand. "I'll come get you this evening." She smiled before giving him a quick peck and the two girls left. For a moment the leader stared after them.

Raph frowned. "What's the problem?"

Leo's grimace intensified. "I was just wondering, how those people knew where you two were in order to ambush you. I think it might be smart to search that section of the tunnels."

"What for? It ain't like they can still use whatever trap they had before on us. We practically burned the place to the ground. Besides, the book store ain't even in that direction."

"I don't care. I don't like knowing someone can spy on us – especially when we go to Vinney's." Leo shook his head. _It wouldn't hurt to change our route too._ He turned and headed back to the dojo where he'd been working out with Mikey and Splinter.

Mona gestured at the girl sitting between her and Raph. "What are we going to do about this?"

Raphael's face scrunched in thought, then he smirked. He picked up Nina, who brightened. Then she scowled as he shifted so that he sat between them. "There." The little lizard started to climb back over him, but he put her back and shook his head. "No, ya gotta learn to share, kid." She continued to frown as he wrapped his arm back around Mona, drawing her close and kissing her brow. Mona nuzzled against his neck and he let out a soft sigh. Her eyes closed and her arms came up to hold him close. Raph glanced at Nina. He could have sworn he saw anger flash in her dark brown eyes. Letting out another sigh, this one of frustration, he patted her head. "You're gonna have to get used to it."

Nina regarded the pair. A part of her was angry that Mona was drawing his attention, but another part – perhaps more instinctual – told her that things were meant to be this way. The two certainly smelled like one another. And although, he was more focused on the older female, he had not completely ignored her either. This confused her. Her mind still so woefully under-developed couldn't quite put the pieces together.

With a bit of a pout, she crawled off the couch, heading for the odd sounds she heard in the other room. Raph watched her go, but didn't make a move to follow. It was best that Nina learn now that Moa was important to him. And if that meant she was mad for a little while, then so be it. Once she learned to share him, the better off she'd be.

Mona's soft fingers touched his cheek and he turned his gaze back to hers. "She'll be alright. If she is my clone, I can't blame her for wanting to be with you."

He smirked. "Oh, really?"

She grinned. "Really, really."

He chuckled, pulling her into his lap and wrapping both arms tightly around her. She was becoming day by day more the Mona he remembered, the creature he'd fallen so hard for all those years ago. He captured her mouth in a heated kiss that made her turn to Jell-O in his arms. After a very long moment, he started to move away. But she wouldn't let him. Her arms locked around his neck and she pressed her chest against his, eliciting a small approving growl. Beads of sweat were forming on his brow as his body grew harder and tighter the longer the kiss lingered. Finally, she broke away and they both panted heavily. He cupped her cheek, amber and dark brown holding each other in a mesmerizing gaze. "I love ya so much, Angel. I was terrified when they took you from me. I thought I was never gonna see ya again."

She sighed, seeing the intense fear and guilt dancing behind his eyes. "You saved me, Raphael. _Again._ You've saved me in so many ways since that day in the tunnel. It feels like you're my own personal guardian angel."

He gave a huff of disagreement. "Some guardian angel. I stopped looking for you when ya needed me the most and I couldn't even protect you in the tunnel yesterday."

"Where are we right now?"

He gave her a funny look. "In the lair."

"How did we get here?"

"The guys rescued us." He said flatly.

She shook her head. "No, you all rescued me. You were already out of that cell when they got there. So, even if they hadn't shown up when they did, I know _you_ still would have rescued me." He looked at her dubiously, but she continued. "Sure, it would have been harder and taken longer, but I have no doubt at all that you would have found me. Do you know why?" He shook his head and she made sure he met her gaze. "Because, I know how fierce and loyal your heart is for those you love. Had you known all those years ago that I was captured, I know it wouldn't have been for long. Because, you would have come for me." She frowned cupping his cheek. "The past is my responsibility, my choices led to my capture." She kissed him deeply again. "But the future… Well, that is ours to make of it what we can. And there is no place I would rather be, than right here with the man that I love."

Eyes glistening with adoration, he took in a sharp breath. He murmured her name as his lips brushed hers, then trailed lightly down her neck past what was left of the restraint collar's burns to her shoulder. A low churr began in his chest, sending a thrill through Mona from head to tail. Somehow, she melted into him even further. When he nibbled her shoulder, she let out a gasp. His head shot up, an unquenchable fire burning in his eyes. Her scent had shifted, it was now thick musky and rich. It called to his baser instincts and he trembled with the restraint of them. Some mad part of his mind told him he should claim her right there on the sofa in the middle of the lair. It took every bit of self-control he had not to do just that.

She was watching him with hooded eyes that were filled with hope and desire. He struggled with the growing churr in his chest as she pressed her body against his. Primal hunger flashed in his eyes and his grip tightened on her. His gaze shot to the bathroom door. It wouldn't have been his first choice, but-.

"Hey, guys, where…." Donnie blushed fervently at the scent permeating the room. Raph's head snapped around to look at him over his shoulder and he took a half step back. He knew that look all too well. He himself had worn it on several occasions in the past months. "Sorry, bro. Uh, where's Nina?"

Raphael's jaw clenched; he didn't trust himself to speak at the moment. Realizing he wasn't going to reply, Mona did. "She went to the dojo, I think."

Don eyed his brother hesitantly. "You might want to hear this. It has to do with her. But, uh, I can tell you later, if you want." He moved off towards the dojo, giving the sofa a wide berth.

Raph let out a shuddering breath through clenched teeth, while trying to get his pulse to settle. Mona shifted in his lap and his arms tightened even more around her. She sighed, pressing her cheek to his. "We should probably go hear what he has to say. It might be important."

Raph let out a deep groan. He wasn't sure he could move at the moment. Unfortunately, she had a point. If Don thought it was important, then it usually was. Besides, the mood was broken, despite the fact his body didn't think so. "Okay." The word came out choked. Mona frowned. She was finding it nearly as difficult as he was to move. Slowly his grip loosened and she slid reluctantly from his lap. He sat for another long moment before forcing himself to his feet.

Don hurried into the dojo, wanting to escape the tension in the other room as quickly as possible. He found Nina sitting in Splinter's lap, while the rat watched his brothers spar. The old sensei glanced down at the child occasionally with a twinkle in his eye. The girl observed the display with curiosity. Don moved to kneel beside the two. He examined the child with a critical eye. She looked a bit lethargic, but he wasn't sure if that was because of the long night or a symptom of withdrawal.

"What troubles you, my son?" Splinter had seen the concern in his eyes.

The turtle sighed. "Guys, come here for a minute."

The two snatched up towels and came to sit with the others. Leo didn't like his brother's expression. "What's wrong?"

Don opened his mouth, but paused as Raph and Mona appeared in the doorway. They didn't come any closer as Raph snaked an arm around her waist, stopping her from going any farther. Don understood the behavior, but didn't voice it. His brother still had a possessive look in his eyes. He turned back to the others. "Do you remember the growth hormone I spoke of last night?"

"Yeah, you said that was why Nina's body is big, but her mind isn't." Mikey said.

Don nodded. "Yes, well there is a little more to it. As I was going through her file and reviewing her DNA profile, I discovered her body can't even produce growth hormones properly. They designed her to be dependent on them for it."

Leo's brow furrowed. "What does that mean exactly?"

"Every living being produces some type of growth hormone. When we stop producing it, we die. I believe IPRC was using it as a kind of failsafe in case she escaped."

Mona gasped. "Is she going to die!"

Don put up a hand to calm her. "No, I can reproduce the serum they were using. But it will take a little time and she doesn't have a lot of that. Within three days her body will start to show symptoms from the lack of it. Plus, I'll need to adjust the dosage, so she'll age more properly."

"Do you think you'll be able to do all that in three days?" Leo asked.

Don nodded. "Yes, I'm already working on it. But we should all keep an eye on her in case she succumbs to the effects more quickly. In the meantime, I have come up with a substitute to help her." He lifted a syringe.

Mikey eyed it. "What is it?"

"Various vitamins and such that will help strengthen her system."

Raph had finally calmed down some. "You don't actually think she's gonna let ya stick 'er with a needle, do ya?"

Don frowned. "It's the best way to administer it."

Leo was doubtful of success. "I'm with Raphael. I don't think that would be a very good idea. She's still learning to trust us."

"Yeah and sticking her with a big needle, ain't the way to do that." Mikey agreed.

Splinter looked down at the child in his lap, innocently watching them. "I agree, there must be another way for her to receive these vitamins and in the future the medicine she requires."

Don rubbed his chin. "I could make it into a drink of some type."

Mikey smiled. "Better make it taste good, bud, or she won't drink it."

Leo nodded, then looked around. "Well, since we're all here. Let's go search that tunnel again. I want to find out how those people knew where to ambush us."

The group stood and Nina ran to where Raph and Mona lingered near the doorway. She blinked big brown eyes up at him. Sighing, he picked her up when she reached for him. Then an idea struck him. "This is a good opportunity for you two to get to know each other. It might make it a lot easier on all of us." He smiled when Mona frowned. He passed the tot to her and Nina made a squawk of protest. Chuckling, he ruffled the girl's hair. Then he cupped Mona's cheek and pressed a light kiss to her lips. "You'll do fine." She gave him a skeptical look, before he turned and followed his brothers from the lair.

Nina and Mona considered one another, both uncertain what to do. Splinter set a hand on the older girl's arm. He smiled warmly. "I will help you."

Mona let out a breath of relief. "Good, because I'm gonna need it."

* * *

A/N: Just one more chapter to go!


	12. Growing

A/N: Thanks for reading guys! Here's the last chapter. I hope you've had fun!

* * *

Nina watched Mona run a brush through her long brown locks from where she sat on the bathroom counter. The world was still so new to her, that everything seemed interesting. Mona attempted a small smile and showed the girl the brush, letting her hold it. Splinter had suggested that some simple grooming would help to create a connection between the two females. Mona wasn't so sure. She'd never been around children. She didn't have any siblings or smaller cousins to reflect back on. She'd never bothered with babysitting either. It wasn't that she didn't like kids, she'd just never had the opportunity to be around them much. Now, she wished she had.

Mona was not certain how to feel about the fact someone had cloned her. A part of her was a bit angry about it, but another simply felt sympathy for the poor creature before her. Where she had once been human and was able to experience all the things normal girls did in her youth, Nina would never get that opportunity. But she supposed Raphael and his brothers had never had that chance either.

She sighed. "I sure hope I don't screw this up."

Nina looked up at her and Mona took the brush from her. Gently, she ran the brush through the girl's short tuft of brown hair. The little lizard watched her, but didn't try to pull away. After she was satisfied that the child's hair was as tamed as it could get, she turned on the water and wet a rag. She made sure Nina was watching as she washed her face with it. Again, she let her examine the rag before wiping her small face in the same manner.

Nina was beginning to relax a bit. This older lizard woman was actually kind of nice. It was her first true chance to interact with her. The night before, all Mona had done was sleep. The white bandaged tapped to Mona's mid-section caught her eye. She put her webbed hand against her own stomach.

Mona frowned, touching the gauze. "It's okay. It doesn't really hurt anymore." She took a good look at the child. There were no obvious scars or wounds, save the marks from the collar. "Well, at least it doesn't look like they got to do much to you." She touched her own neck with a frown. Over the years the skin there had become thicker and uneven. It now reminded her of the souls of her feet. She knew from experience that there were black marks where the prongs on the collar made contact, but she could no longer feel them. "I'm sorry. You've had to endure so much in your short life and it was all because of me."

Nina blinked up at her. She could tell there was so much sadness in her, but didn't understand why. They were both out of that bad place and these people were being nice to them. Reaching out her small hand, she touched Mona's cheek just like she'd seen Raph do dozens of times since their rescue. And just like every time he'd done it, Mona smiled. Nina smiled as well. She was happy that she'd made her happy. Mona's smile grew as she looked at the little girl. "I think we're going to have to clean the rest of you up. Otherwise, your face won't match the rest of your body." Splinter had explained the ordeal with Katherine trying to give the child a bath, but Mona had a feeling she might have a better chance. So far, leading by example seemed to be working. "I could use a good bath too. Maybe, if we're together we'll both feel better."

* * *

"So, Sams thinks Nina like thinks you're her mom or something?" Mikey snickered.

Raph shot him a death glare, but Don raised an eye-ridge. "Don't be so dismissive, Michelangelo. Her theory does have merit. Many animals in nature imprint on their first care-giver and that isn't always their biological parent either. Even normal human babies imprint on their mothers. And as Katherine pointed out, Nina has only truly been conscious a matter of days. So, there is a high likelihood she's done just that."

Mikey grinned and slapped Raph on the shell. "Congratulations, bro! You're a dad and ya didn't even have to try for it."

Raph frowned. He didn't mind that Nina had "imprinted" on him. As a matter of fact, considering she was part of Mona, he preferred it that way. "Yeah, well, I'm pretty sure she's jealous of Mona."

Don nodded as they neared the lair. "That is also very likely."

Leo finally looked up from the tiny camera and motion sensor they'd found in the tunnel. It was no surprise they'd missed it in their cursory check of the tunnels. It wasn't much bigger than a cigar and it had been well hidden in the pipes. "Do you think that will cause any problems?"

Raph shrugged. "I don't know. She was pretty miffed at me earlier, when I made 'er let me sit beside Mona. She took off to the dojo."

Leo chuckled a little. "So, that's why she came in there looking for Master Splinter."

"Yeah." Raph's frown returned. "But Mona needs me more right now than she does. I just don't want 'er to have bad feelings towards Mona because of that."

Don thought that over for a moment. "Well, she hasn't had much opportunity to spend time with her yet. Mona was still pretty out of it last night. I'm sure once they've gotten acquainted, she'll warm up to her."

As they entered the lair, they could hear happy giggling from somewhere. Splinter was seated in the armchair, smiling. Raph glanced at the bathroom door, where he could hear Mona talking beyond it. He turned back to their father with a questioning expression. The old rat chuckled. "I suggested some quiet grooming might put both of them at ease."

Leo grinned. "I'd say the quiet part of that must have been missed."

"Yeah, it sounds like they're having a blast in there." Not for the first time, Mikey wished they had some kind of pool to swim in.

Raph glanced at Don with a smile. "I guess, you were right. They just had to get to know each other."

Don laughed. "Looks like it. Though, I think Katherine may be a bit heart-broken about the bath."

Leo glanced around the room at the smiling faces of his family. They were all safe now and recovering quite well it seemed. He thought perhaps now he should broach a certain topic. He stepped around the couch to sit near Splinter. "Father, I've been meaning to ask your opinion on something."

"Yes, my son. What is it you wish to ask?" Splinter continued to smile, his ears twitching each time Nina gave a little squeal.

Leo shifted a bit nervously. He wasn't sure how his father would react. He hoped it would be to the positive. "Well, uh, Sams and I have been talking about maybe…um, moving into Mondo's old place."

Splinter lifted one brow. He had wondered when this would come up. Quite frankly, he'd expected it sooner. He watched his son glance at him and then away. He placed a hand on his arm and the turtle lifted his head to meet his eyes. "Leonardo, there comes a time in every young man's life when he must stand on his own. And that often means leaving the home of their parents. As much as I will always care for you – all of you. I understand the need to grow and mature."

Leo let out a breath of relief and smiled. "Thank you, Sensei. That means a lot to us."

Splinter smiled as well. "You have waited long enough. When do you plan on this move?"

"Probably not for a little while. I want to be sure everything is stable here first." Leo glanced at the bathroom door. "And it looks like things will be that way pretty soon. There are also some repairs that need to be made before we can move in there."

"I'll be glad to help, but it will have to wait until after I've synthesized the growth hormone for Nina." Don advised him.

"And how long do ya think that'll be?" Raph leaned on the back of the sofa.

"Not long. I should have a ready supply by tomorrow evening." Don assured him.

"Even with you going to Katherine's tonight?" For once there was no bitterness in Raph's voice when he asked the question.

Don patted his shoulder. "Yes, I've already started the process."

Raph nodded as the bathroom door opened. He smiled at Mona with both her hair and Nina wrapped in towels. "You two gettin' along now?"

Her smile was a bit tired. "Yes, but I think she wore both of us out." Nina yawned and rubbed her eyes.

He chuckled. "Looks like it." Stepping forward, he took the girl from Mona's arms. "I think both of ya need a nap." Holding the drowsy child with one arm, he slipped the other around her. "Come on, no arguin'."

The others exchanged a look as he left. Mikey smirked. "Who would have thought Raphael, of all people, would make such great dad material?" The room broke into laughter.

* * *

Don stroked a hand through Katherine's light brown hair and she hummed softly into his shoulder. "What is it?" She asked after a long moment.

"Leo and Sams are going to move out of the lair."

She rose up to look down on him, where he lay beside her in bed. "Really? To where?"

"We helped a friend of ours build out a space not far from the lair many years ago. They want to move in there, since he isn't here anymore."

She frowned, caressing his cheek. "Does it bother you? Are you worried about them?" She could feel there was more to this discussion lurking beneath the surface.

"No, not really." He drew her back down to him and she rested her head on his plastron. "Mondo's place isn't but maybe three minutes away at a steady walk. He'll still be close, if we need him or he needs us."

"Then what?" She ran her fingers along the crevasse between his plates.

Don shivered from her touch. "I was just thinking maybe we should do the same. Stay here most of the time."

She rose up again with a laugh. "We already do that."

"I know." He turned on his side and she laid her head next to his on his pillow. "I meant make it more official."

She played with the wedding ring and chain around his neck. "How much more _official_ can it get? I mean, this little apartment is packed with both my stuff and yours."

He traced a large finger down her jaw. "That's another thing. Now that we're working together and able to take on nearly double the contracts. Why don't we get a bigger place? Somewhere that really feels like home. Something that's _ours_."

"If that's what you want, then let's do it." She smiled, kissing him warmly. "I don't care where I'm at, as long as I'm with you."

He rolled her onto her back, eyes shining. "I love you so much, Kitten. I could never tell you in words."

She smiled coyly. "Then don't use words." He grinned as he dipped his head to deliver a passionate kiss that was only the beginning of his expression of love.

* * *

**One Month Later**

"Well, that's the last of it." Raph set down the last of Leo's boxes in the living room of Leo and Sams' new home.

"It's gonna be super weird with you not there, bro." Mikey frowned a little at Leo. They had always been together. Now two of his brothers were moving out and moving on in a manner of speaking. He hoped that although they were outgrowing the lair, that they weren't out growing their family.

Leo smiled patiently, wrapping an arm around his youngest brother's shoulders. "I may not be in the lair all the time, but we'll only be a short walk away. And all of you are welcome here anytime."

"But a small heads up would be a good idea." Sams said from where she and Mona were unpacking dishes. Their new home was still a work in progress, but it was more than livable at this point. The kitchen was not much bigger than the one in Sams' old apartment and shared the space with the living area. It was more than sufficient for the couple though.

Don reappeared from the back of the dwelling. "You're all set up. Everything's on and your security system's ready to go. Oh, and I hooked you into the phone lines. Here's the number." He handed his brother a slip of paper.

Leo took it with a smile. "Thanks, I really appreciate you guys helping out and being so understanding."

Don chuckled. "You don't have to explain it to me."

Mikey stretched. "I'm just glad we're done carrying boxes."

"Well, don't get too comfortable. We'll probably be doing this again in a few more weeks." Katherine joined them from the bedroom, where she'd been unloading linens.

"Have you guys found a new place yet?" Raph carried one of the boxes labeled "kitchen" over to Mona.

"We're still looking." Don set down his tool box. "We'd like to find a place closer to the lair. The studio isn't too far, but it would be nice to be a bit closer."

"And to have more space." Katherine moved to his side and slipped an arm around him.

Mikey frowned again, reminded once more that Don was also moving out. "It's gonna be super quiet with both of you guys gone."

Don glanced at the Nina, who was napping on the couch. The tot had been running around in circles for the past two hours. "I don't really think that's going to be a problem."

Leo followed his gaze and laughed. "Nope, not in the least. I think you'll have plenty of excitement without us there."

It didn't take long to finish unpacking the few boxes remaining and then the group left, leaving Leo and Sams alone. She stepped up beside him in the doorway as he watched them leave. She frowned at his forlorn expression. "Hey, it'll be alright. They'll be fine."

Sighing, he looked down at her. "Yeah, I know. It's just…it'll be strange knowing they're not nearby."

Her gaze turned worried. "You're not having second thoughts about moving out, are you?"

His eyes widened as he turned fully to her. "No! Never!" Pulling her tight against him, he dug his fingers into her mass of curls. "Not in a million years, Sweetheart. It'll just take some getting used to is all. But I wouldn't want it any other way." Stepping back, he grinned. "I've got something for you."

She raised a blonde brow. "Oh?"

"Wait here." He disappeared into the bedroom to return only a moment later. Her eyes lit up as he produced a white rose. "Happy anniversary, Sams." Gently he stroked her cheek as her eyes began to shimmer with unshed tears. "I never thought I could love you more than I did a year ago in this very room, but you proved that theory completely wrong. Every single day, I love you more and more."

Happy tears broke free as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Oh, Leo… I love you too. You complete me so perfectly. I barely remember what life was like without you." She stepped back to kiss him deeply.

* * *

Mona smiled as she watched Raph lay the still sleeping Nina in Don's old bed. This was now her bedroom. The alcove had been cleared of all the genius' things and now was sparsely decorated for the young girl with a fluffy pink blanket. Other parts of the lair had been adjusted as well. Don's lab now had a door and a lock to keep out the curious child for her own safety. Raph and Leo's alcoves had been combined into one room with a door to give the couple a bit of privacy. This would be the first night they would be able to use it. And Mona currently wanted to take advantage of it.

When he stepped from the alcove, she quietly took his hand and led him across the space into the new room. He smirked when she closed the door behind them. Then she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. Raphael's arms tightened around her while returning the kiss with increasing vigor. They both panted as he pulled away and met her eyes. "I'm glad ya decided to stay. I'm not sure I could've taken you leavin'."

She smiled. "Like I said, there is no place I'd rather be than right here, right now with you."

He smiled. "You're incredible. I love ya so much, you know that?"

She smirked. "I do, but maybe you could show me just to make sure."

He grinned, his grip tightening on her. "Angel, I'll show you as often as ya want."

* * *

**Epilogue**

Mikey woke on the sofa to an incessant beeping. He blinked at the static on the television and yawned. _I must've fallen asleep watching TV again. _It wasn't like he had a whole lot to do these days except watch TV though. Oh, Splinter still made them train every day. But now, it was only normally once a day. They still patrolled the city some, but not as often with not all his brothers living under the same roof.

The beep came again over the white noise of the off-air station. He glanced towards the bedroom area, hoping it didn't wake Nina. It hadn't, but he needed to turn it off before it did. Standing, he followed the sound to Donnie's lab. Frowning, he located the key and opened the door. They didn't come in here much anymore, unless Don was there. The lab still flickered with lights and softly hummed with the electrical devices.

When the beep came again, he spotted the culprit – the interdimensional communicator. An anxious knot of worry began to ball in stomach as he approached the unit. He stared down at the controls for a moment, trying to remember how to work the thing. It had been such a long time since it had been used that there was a fine layer of dust on them.

It beeped again and he finally remembered how to answer it. Zak appeared on the screen. Mikey grinned. "Hey, dude! Long time no see!"

"Hey, Michelangelo! Sorry to bother you guys so late, but I kinda need your help."

"Help?" Mikey frowned, realizing that Dask and Kala weren't with him. "Zak, where's Kala?"

The Neutrino's desperation was nearly palpable through the screen. "That's what I need your help with."

* * *

A/N: If you've enjoyed this little fic, be sure to leave a review!


End file.
